Firestone pays $4 million to settle hazardous waste dumping allegations

The automotive maintenance and repair company Firestone has agreed to a nearly $4 million settlement with 29 California cities and counties to resolve allegations the company unlawfully disposed of hazardous waste at its stores, City News Service (CNS) reports.

The retail chain, which does business as Firestone Complete Auto Care at more than 150 locations in California, was sued for allegedly failing to properly manage hazardous waste such as solvents, automotive fluids, aerosols, batteries and electronic devices.

According to the San Diego City Attorney's Office, the investigation into the alleged waste dumping began in 2016, when the district attorney’s investigators in northern California inspected Firestone trash containers and found "nonempty containers of hazardous waste and pages of customer records."

“We expect large companies like Firestone to be good stewards of the environment,” San Diego City Attorney Mara W. Elliott told CNS. “By joining with other prosecutors, we were able to bring them into compliance. All of us have a duty to keep our air and water clean.”

Through the settlement, Firestone was ordered to pay nearly $2.9 million in civil penalties, plus more than $1 million more in costs for the investigation and agreed-upon compliance and training expenditures. According to the City Attorney's Office, Firestone has cooperated with prosecutors and "took steps to improve its compliance with the environmental and consumer protection violations brought to its attention."