An $11 million settlement to resolve state claims that auto parts retailer AutoZone Inc. illegally disposed of hazardous waste in 45 California counties was filed in Alameda County Superior Court this week.
The case was filed against Memphis, Tennessee-based AutoZone by California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, 10 district attorneys and the Los Angeles city attorney.
The investigation of violations of state hazardous waste laws was carried out between 2013 and 2015 and was initiated and led by the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office Environmental Protection Unit.
District Attorney Nancy O’Malley said on Wednesday, “When companies ignore or violate these laws, they put our precious natural resources at risk.”
Becerra and O’Malley alleged that the probe showed that an estimated 5 million hazardous waste items such as used motor oil, oil filters, batteries, electronics and aerosol cans were thrown away in regular trash bins instead of specialized bins to be taken to licensed hazardous waste disposal sites.
AutoZone does not admit to any fault in the settlement. A company spokesman was not immediately available for comment. O’Malley said the company began improving its procedures after prosecutors informed it of the illegal disposals.
The settlement includes a permanent injunction requiring AutoZone to comply with hazardous waste control laws. It provides for an $8.9 million civil penalty, $1.35 million for environmental projects, and $750,000 for reimbursement of investigative and enforcement costs.
Other district attorneys participating in the lawsuit were those of Monterey, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Francisco, San Joaquin, Solano, Ventura and Yolo counties.
San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon said in a statement, “When companies take shortcuts that jeopardize the livability of our communities, it’s up to California to hold them accountable and protect our environment for future generations.”
Not enough of a penalty. They knew better. It is permanent destruction of our environment! Dirty rotten AUTO ZONE.
AutoZone = Next To Leave (California want to hold you accountable)..
Great to hold AutoZone accountable. Now California can take the $8.9 million in civil penalties and use it to reduce excessive fees and taxes paid by California’s citizens, instead of continuing to waste our hard earned money.
LMAO, good one.
Tsa wins funniest comment of the week…. so far.
And screw Auto Zone! Those guys sell us the oil & the filter, no problemo… but you bring the old oil in and “the bin is full, sorry” every friggin time.
Yes Dr. Jellyfinger. They sell us the oil and the
filter but the lube job we were all getting didn’t
cost a dime. Until now.
Lost track, is Tennessee a red state? Is that why it took so long to investigate and a few more years to sue? Just asking…
I’m so glad. I see Hazardous Waste cleanup show up to every auto accedent. To reclaim the oil , grease, a/c refrigerent. What is that stuff you drive on. That’s right. Asphalt. Made from oil. That leaches oil. Or concrete which leeches lime. And arsenic.where does the global warming from I don’t know sure looks like we pasted most of the land with black substance.
11 million dollar fine for failing to properly dispose 5 million “special disposal” items.
It’s probably cheaper for AutoZone to continue to dispose improperly and just eat the fines when ever they do come.
This is the playbook for most large companies.
We have such weak real work consequences for these companies that it is very often viewed as “just a cost of doing business”.
The companies do a business calculation and find that the profits they make from doing something wrong outweigh the fines they *might* face.
And yet – it will be taxpayers who end up paying for the costs of dealing with the fallout.
Hmm so how does the city of SF and OAK properly dispose of all the human waste on the streets oh yeah pressure wash it to the storm drains to the bay but no fines for them!!! Way to go idiots fun another tax paying company out