T.J. Maxx Settles in Hazardous Waste Disposal Case
Alameda County District Attorney Nancy O’Malley announced today that Massachusetts-based TJX Companies, Inc, which operates T.J. Maxx, Marshalls and HomeGoods, was ordered to pay $2.05 million in a stipulated judgement for the unlawful disposal of hazardous waste.
The judgement was filed in Monterey County Superior Court. TJX owns approximately 340 T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, and HomeGoods facilities in California, 10 of which are located in Alameda County.
Between 2016 and 2021, TJX companies improperly disposed of hazardous waste into its trash bins going to municipal landfills. These landfills were not authorized to accept hazardous waste. The hazardous waste included aerosol cans, batteries, electronic devices, cleaning agents, as well as other hazardous waste items.
“The laws are in place to ensure the environment and public are protected from hazardous waste,” said DA O’Malley. “The Environmental Protection Division of the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office will continue to ensure that any business in this county found to have violated hazardous waste laws are brought to justice.”
This is the second time TJX mismanaged hazardous waste at its California retail stores. In September of 2014, Alameda County prosecutors, joined by other counties, California prosecutors, resolved similar violations for which TJX paid $2,777,500 in civil penalties and costs.
As part of the judgement, TJX is required to employ compliance employees to oversee its hazardous waste compliance program. TJX will be audited to ensure hazardous wastes is properly disposed of in all its California stores.
California law requires hazardous waste that is generated in the normal course of its retail business, be labeled and put in segregated containers to ensure that incompatible wastes do not mix and cause dangerous chemical reactions.
In addition to the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office, the prosecution was led by the District Attorneys of Monterey, Riverside, San Joaquin, and Yolo counties.
