Attorney General Bonta Announces $3.5 Million Settlement with Frontier for Illegal Disposal of Hazardous Waste

OAKLAND – California Attorney General Rob Bonta and the District Attorneys’ Offices of Alameda County and San Mateo County today announced a settlement with Frontier California, Inc. (Frontier) for the illegal disposal and mismanagement of hazardous waste. As part of the settlement, Frontier will be required to pay $3.5 million for penalties, costs, and supplemental environmental projects to benefit the community, and make significant changes to its operations and practices to comply with state law. 

“For years, Frontier’s careless and unlawful hazardous waste disposal practices jeopardized the health and environmental well-being of California communities,” said Attorney General Rob Bonta. “Today’s settlement holds them accountable for breaking the law and implements strict measures to prevent them from putting Californians and our environment at risk in the future.”

“The illegal disposal of hazardous waste puts our environment, workers and communities at risk and violates California law,” said Interim Head of the Alameda County District Attorney's Office of Consumer, Environmental and Special Prosecutions Unit, Carlos Guzman. "We are encouraged that Frontier cooperated with the district attorneys’ and Attorney General’s offices in taking decisive action to address the alleged past violations and to protect against future problems.”

"My office remains vigilant in its efforts to ensure that those who commit offenses that are harmful to the environment are brought to justice,” said San Mateo County District Attorney Stephen Wagstaffe. “This settlement should put others on notice that district attorneys and the Attorney General will continue to work together to investigate and prosecute violations against our environment.”

The settlement is the result of over 12 waste inspections conducted from 2011 through 2013. During those inspections at ten Frontier facilities (then owned and operated by Verizon California, Inc.), more than 300 potentially hazardous items were recovered in regular trash dumpsters. These items included batteries, remote controls, splitters, aerosol cans, and devices containing circuit boards. The unlawful disposals are alleged to violate the Hazardous Waste Control Law (HWCL) and Unfair Competition Law.

The settlement resolves the allegations above and requires Frontier to pay $3.5 million, which consists of $2.8 million in civil penalties, $450,000 in attorneys’ fees and costs, and $250,000 for supplemental environmental projects (supporting environmental enforcement efforts), and at least $500,000 toward supplemental environmental compliance measures (ensuring that Frontier meets or exceeds legal requirements). The Attorney General’s Office will receive a total amount of $1.6 million, consisting of $1.4 million in civil penalties and $200,000 in attorneys’ fees and costs.

The settlement also imposes injunctive terms, which require Frontier, over at least a five-year period, to take a series of actions, including to properly store, dispose, label, and transport hazardous waste; train employees pertaining to the management of hazardous waste; conduct three independent environmental compliance audits; and label and inspect roll-off containers and dumpsters prior to the waste reaching municipal solid waste recycling facilities or municipal landfills. These actions are intended to prevent violations of the HWCL and reduce the risk that Frontier’s facilities improperly handle and dispose of hazardous waste in the future.

A copy of the complaint and proposed stipulated judgment, which details the aforementioned settlement terms and remains subject to court approval, can be found here and here.