By Jonathan Stempel
(Reuters) -Walmart will pay $7.5 million to resolve charges that the largest U.S. retailer illegally disposed of hazardous and medical waste from its facilities into California municipal landfills.
The settlement was announced on Tuesday by California Attorney General Rob Bonta, following more than 70 audits by authorities of waste that Walmart (NYSE:WMT) sent to the landfills between 2015 and 2021.
Bonta said the audits found thousands of containers of toxic aerosols and liquid wastes including spray paints, rust removers, bleach, pesticides and medical waste such as over-the-counter drugs.
He also said Walmart regularly failed to protect customers' personal identifying information by disposing of customer records without first making the information impossible to read.
Without admitting wrongdoing, the Bentonville, Arkansas-based retailer agreed to pay a $4.3 million civil fine plus $3.2 million to cover legal costs.
It also agreed to hire an independent auditor to conduct waste audits at its California facilities over the next four years, and to improve its current hazardous waste programs when necessary or to comply with changes in the law.
Walmart said in a statement it was pleased that the settlement recognized how it shared California's goal of protecting the environment and residents' health and safety.
The settlement resolves a lawsuit that California filed in February 2022, and requires court approval.
Walmart has 309 stores, including Sam's Clubs, in the state, according to its website.