DISH Network agreed to a $5.5 million settlement over allegations it illegally disposed of and mismanaged hazardous waste, state and Alameda County prosecutors announced Wednesday.
The home and business satellite TV provider will pay $3.32 million in penalties, $835,500 in legal costs, $845,000 for supplemental environmental projects and $500,000 for enhanced compliance measures to ensure the hazardous waste it handles is properly managed, the prosecutors said.
The settlement was agreed to with California Attorney General Rob Bonta's Office and Alameda County District Attorney Nancy O'Malley's Office. It also requires DISH Network California Service Corp. to come into compliance with state law by making changes to its operations and practices, according to Bonta's and O'Malley's offices.
“For years, DISH carelessly disposed of and sent hazardous waste to local landfills, ignoring the consequences for our communities and our environment,” state Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement. “From there, hazardous chemical elements from electronic devices, batteries, aerosols, and more could seep into soil and contaminate our environment.”
The allegations of wrongdoing go back to 2005 when DISH allegedly started disposing of the waste illegally and sending it to landfills that are not set up to handle it, prosecutors said.
Audits of California DISH facilities showed that DISH violated Hazardous Waste Control and Unfair Competition laws by repeatedly disposing of hazardous materials in trash bins bound for landfills over multiple years, according to audits, prosecutors said.
In addition to the $5.5 million settlement, DISH must have an independent auditor make sure DISH is environmentally compliant at its 25 California facilities.
DISH must regularly inspect its trash dumpsters and roll-off containers to be sure none contain hazardous waste, and the company must train its employees regarding California hazardous waste laws.
“We became aware of this in 2012 and immediately conducted an internal review, implemented additional protocols and worked with the state of California to ensure we were in compliance with regulations,” a statement from DISH said.
“We have been compliant since the end of 2012. While these issues have been addressed for years, we are pleased to have reached a settlement with the state, particularly one that recognizes our many waste training and management actions that go above-and-beyond the state legal requirements,” the DISH statement said.
Wow! What a cheap solution to their problem of getting rid of their hazardous waste. Dump hazardous waste, for almost 2 decades, illegally into regular trash, and they are charged $5.5M. Sounds like a really good price for doing business. What WOULD have been the fee to dispose of those items within regulation? What is the price of the hazardous chemicals, etc, into our water supply, etc? To me, $5.5M sounds like they got a ripping deal.
Let me guess…..Dish Network or its executives donated to CA Republicans.
This is the same shakedown they did on Walmart for the Walton family having the audacity to donate to CA Republicans.
CA Democrats are disgusting gutter trash.
Now, if they could only get a settlement out of the thousands of vagrants littering CA opens spaces, river banks and creeks with hazardous waste, medicinal drug user waste and human waste.
If Dish Network violated laws it should be corrected, but at least their waste went to landfills,
the volume of trash, batteries, masks and other hazardous waste dumped in and along creeks and waterways or nearby storm drains goes directly into nature and the bay.
The same can be said for the contamination due to vagrant/ transient encampments.
“From there, hazardous chemical elements from electronic devices, batteries, aerosols, and more could seep into soil and contaminate our environment.”
No ‘Deep Pockets’ to go after AG Rob Bonta?
AG Bonta needs to be retired to the trash landfill of progressive CA politicians.
That’s only what DISH disposed of, nothing to say of what owners did with their DISH systems after getting rid of them, for those that bought and owned them.