Target to pay $22.5 Million in waste case, official says
Target Corp., the second-largest U.S. discount retailer, will pay $22.5 million to settle claims it illegally dumped hazardous waste in California, said San Diego County District Attorney Bonnie M. Dumanis.
The settlement, announced in an e-mail, resolves a civil case brought by former California Attorney General Jerry Brown and as many as 20 of the state's county district attorneys, Steve Walker, a spokesman for Dumanis, said in an interview. Dumanis is scheduled to disclose details of the agreement later today, he said.
The suit, filed in 2009, alleges that Target had been served since 2001 with more than 300 notices for disposing of hazardous materials, such as flammable liquids and toxic chemicals, at landfills not designated to receive them.
Under California law, Target must properly dispose of products such as bleach, paints and pesticides that are returned or damaged during shipping or stocking, according to the complaint.
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The lawsuit against Minneapolis-based Target stems from an investigation started in 2006 by Brown, a Democrat who was elected governor in California last year, and the district attorneys. The suit claimed Target illegally dumped the products at sites in Sacramento, Alameda and Los Angeles counties, among others.
Target said when the case was filed that it was disappointed because it had negotiated with the state for almost three years in an attempt to resolve the claims.
A representative at Target wasn't immediately available for comment.
The case is California v. Target, RG-09457686, Superior Court of California, Alameda County (Oakland).