Dish to Pay $5.5M in Calif. Hazardous Waste Settlement

Dish Network will pay $5.5 million in a settlement with California and Alameda County for allegedly illegal disposal and mismanagement of hazardous waste since 2005, Attorney General Rob Bonta (D) and Alameda District Attorney Nancy O’Malley said Wednesday. Audits of Dish’s California facilities found Dish repeatedly disposed of hazardous waste in trash bins destined for municipal landfills, violating Hazardous Waste Control and Unfair Competition state laws, the AG office said. The settlement includes $3.32 million in civil penalties, $835,500 in litigation costs and $845,000 for supplemental environmental projects. Dish also must pay $500,000 to implement environmental compliance measures. “For years, DISH carelessly disposed of and sent hazardous waste to local landfills, ignoring the consequences for our communities and our environment,” said Bonta. Dish didn’t comment.