The state of Missouri has reached a $1.25 million settlement with Wal-Mart Stores Inc.
Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster on Friday announced the settlement, which followed allegations that the megaretailer violated the Missouri Hazardous Waste Management Law, according to a news release.
Wal-Mart allegedly sent household products such as charcoal, potting soil, herbicides and pesticides that had been returned or couldn't be sold at its stores to two sites run by Neosho-based Greenleaf LLC. According to the release, Greenleaf wasn't properly permitted to treat, store or dispose of hazardous waste, and therefore didn't manage the waste materials correctly.
Wal-Mart voluntarily spent more than $3 million to clean up the Neosho sites by removing and properly disposing of the materials, and has worked with the attorney general's office to design training programs, policies and procedures related to hazardous waste transportation, the release said.
Additionally, as part of the settlement, Wal-Mart agreed to pay the state $214,378 in civil penalties; reimburse the Missouri Department of Natural Resources $4,082 for the cost of its investigation, interest, unpaid fees and taxes; and spend $1.05 million to sponsor pesticide collection events in rural communities in the state.
“This settlement demonstrates our commitment to enforcing Missouri’s environmental laws and regulations,” Koster said in the release. “Missouri’s Hazardous Waste Management Law was enacted to protect both citizens’ health and our environment, and I want to thank Wal-Mart for its commitment to helping clean up pesticides throughout the Missouri country side.”[[In-content Ad]]
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