The TJX Companies, Inc. ordered to pay $2.05 million for unlawful disposal of hazardous waste

RIVERSIDE – Riverside County District Attorney Mike Hestrin announced today, Dec. 13, 2022, that The TJX Companies, Inc. (TJX) has been ordered by a judge to pay $2.05 million in penalties and costs regarding the unlawful disposal of hazardous waste.

This stipulated judgment settles allegations that TJX, which is based in Massachusetts and owns about 340 T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, and HomeGoods stores in California, unlawfully disposed of hazardous waste. There are 25 TJX facilities in Riverside County.

Prosecutors allege that TJX improperly disposed of hazardous waste into its regular trash bins that were destined for municipal landfills, which are not authorized to accept hazardous waste. The hazardous waste at issue in this matter included items such as aerosol cans, batteries, electronic devices, cleaning agents, and non-empty drug fact containing waste items, as well as other hazardous waste items generated through the company’s regular business activities. 

This is the second settlement resolving allegations that TJX mismanaged hazardous waste at its California retail stores. In September 2014, California prosecutors resolved similar violations by entering a stipulated judgment for which TJX paid $2,777,500 in civil penalties, costs, and funding for supplemental environmental projects.  

The current stipulated judgment requires TJX to pay an additional $2.05 million, which consists of $1.8 million in civil penalties, $300,000 in supplemental environmental projects, and $250,000 in reimbursement of investigative and enforcement costs. In addition, the settlement includes provisions requiring TJX to continue to employ at least one California compliance employee to oversee its hazardous waste compliance program and to undergo waste audits in a portion of their California facilities to ensure hazardous wastes are properly disposed of at all stores. The company must also continue to comply with injunctive requirements regarding hazardous waste management.

TJX worked cooperatively with prosecutors during the investigation. TJX, like all retail stores, is required to properly dispose of hazardous waste that is generated in the normal course of its retail business, and to manage such hazardous waste in labeled and segregated containers to ensure that incompatible wastes do not mix and cause dangerous chemical reactions.

The case, 22CV003142, was filed in Monterey County, and the court entered the judgment there on Dec. 9, 2022.

This case was handled in Riverside County by Deputy District Attorney Lauren R. Martineau of the DA’s Environmental Protection Team.

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