Target Corp. has agreed to pay $22.5 million to settle a multiyear government investigation into the alleged dumping of hazardous waste by the retail chain.
I previously posted about how lenders frequently overlook environmental compliance for retail or commercial properties on my EDR Schnapf Judgment blog. See http://commonground.edrnet.com/posts/ba6464cfa8, http://commonground.edrnet.com/posts/899933f985, http://commonground.edrnet.com/posts/0e841cd373
The violations identified by prosecutors included improper storage, transportation and disposal of bleach, paint, pesticides, batteries, lightbulbs and other hazardous materials. Prosecutors accused the company of cutting corners for the bottom line. Chemicals returned by customers or found to be defective were poured down the drain, tossed into dumpsters and trucked to landfills not equipped for hazardous waste. Stores also kept incompatible and combustible liquids like ammonia and bleach side-by-side on shelves and poured them into dumpsters mixed together, creating fire and other safety hazards
As a result of this investigation, prosecutors have launched investigations of other large retailers.
Complete story from LA Times is at: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-target-settlement-20110205,0,7700027.story
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