The Massachusetts-based company that operates T.J. Maxx, Marshalls and HomeGoods was ordered to pay over $2 million in a stipulated judgement for the unlawful disposal of hazardous waste, the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office announced.
TJX owns approximately 340 T.J. Maxx, Marshalls and HomeGoods stores in California, the DA said, ten of which are located in Alameda County.
Between 2016 and 2021, TJX companies improperly disposed of hazardous waste in trash bins which went to municipal landfills, the DA said. These landfills were not authorized to accept hazardous waste, some of which included aerosol cans, batteries, electronic devices, and cleaning agents.
The law requires that hazardous waste generated in the normal course of retail business be labeled and put in segregated containers to make sure that incompatible wastes do not mix and cause dangerous chemical reactions.
TJX was ordered to pay a stipulated judgement of $2.05 million, including $1.8 million in civil penalties, $300,000 in supplemental environmental projects, and $250,000 in reimbursement of investigative and enforcement costs.
The DA claims that this is the second time that TJX mismanaged hazardous waste in California. In September of 2014, similar allegations were resolved and TJX paid $2,777,500 in civil penalties and costs.
As part of the judgement, TJX is required to hire compliance employees to oversee its hazardous waste compliance program. The company will also be audited to ensure hazardous waste is properly disposed of in all of its California stores.
“At TJX, we are working on a number of programs to better manage the waste materials resulting from our operations, and we have made a significant investment in time, processes, and resources to strengthen our regulated waste disposal program,” said a spokesperson for the company in response to the judgement. “We look forward to cooperating with the State of California moving forward.”
The prosecution was led by Alameda, but also the District Attorneys of Riverside, San Joaquin, Yolo and Monterey Counties.
5 comments
In two years, check back n see how many of those approximately 340 stores are still open.
In other words, they did what pretty much every normal person does but, because they have deep pockets, it’s going to cost them two million bucks.
Gotta make sure all those alphabet agencies continue to be well-funded, right?
@CHICKEN LITTLE….I never throw aerosol cans, batteries, electronic devices, and cleaning agents in the regular garbage…”Yeah, yeah, that’s the ticket.”….
https://youtu.be/pkYNBwCEeH4
Unelected bureaucrats going for deep pockets at both county and state level are part of the reason steel mill in Pittsburg is closing after 110 years of providing UNION living wages for 600 workers. Closure will cause hardship to other companies supplying goods and services and will cause down scaling of their work forces.
Where does that money go?
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