Dollar Tree, Inc. has reached a civil settlement over alleged hazardous- waste/-material violations at its distribution centers in San Joaquin and San Bernardino counties in California. The settlement was entered in conjunction with 48 district attorneys and two city attorney offices from around the state.
By the numbers: In 2019, three large bleach spills occurred at the Dollar Tree distribution centers in both San Joaquin and San Bernardino counties within a short period of time.
- Inspections by the San Joaquin County Environmental Health Department at the San Joaquin distribution center and continued investigations by the district attorney’s office revealed statutory and regulatory hazardous-waste violations, including many hazardous-waste items in the Dollar Tree trash compactor.
- Audits by San Bernardino County in both 2019 and 2021 showed similar violations.
Last month, San Joaquin County Superior Court Judge Barbara Kronlund approved a settlement. Dollar Tree will pay the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office a total of $800,000 in cost recovery and civil penalties and will pay the San Joaquin County Environmental Health Department a total of $220,000.
Dollar Tree must also conduct multiple annual waste audits at each of its distribution centers in California over the next five years.
Additionally, the company must continue implementing a trash inspection program at every store, where employees are responsible for visually inspecting every bag, box, or loose item for disposal to ensure that no unauthorized hazardous waste or medical waste is improperly disposed of in solid-waste collection containers.