Dangerous pesticides and sensitive data from customers who trusted three pest control companies, including Orkin, were allegedly dumped in regular trash cans.
Currently, three companies operating in California are paying millions of dollars as a result of investigations that included dumpster diving.
A $3.15 million settlement was announced Wednesday. Stockton’s Clark Pest Control, Crane Pest Control and Orkin Services quickly settled claims against the trio in Contra Costa County Superior Court with Ventura, Orange, Riverside and nine other California counties.
These companies are alleged to have violated various state laws by improperly handling, storing, and ultimately disposing of pesticides and hazardous waste in dumpsters and landfills that are not equipped with regular facilities rather than in secure facilities.
It is also said that customer records containing highly confidential information were compromised.
“This case reflects the effective collaboration of district attorney offices across the state to protect the environment and ensure that businesses comply with the law,” Ventura Township said. Atty. Eric Nasarenko.
Neither the Orange County nor Riverside County district attorney’s offices responded to requests for comment.
District attorneys in Contra Costa and San Mateo counties launched investigations into exterminators in 2021. From March 2021 to February 2022, investigators conducted undercover inspections of 40 bins at 22 facilities in Clark and Orkin counties.
The combined pest control companies operate 88 facilities across the state, with Southern California areas including Anaheim, Commerce, Costa Mesa, Covina, Lancaster, Long Beach, Riverside and Ventura, according to court documents.
“Ventura County was one of the counties that underwent a surprise audit, and the results confirmed the need for increased compliance,” Nasarenko said.
The inspection uncovered thousands of illegally discarded items, including pesticide containers containing liquids, foam, bait, pellets and aerosol sprays. The liquids contained pesticides, and some of the baits also contained rodenticide blocks, according to the complaint.
Not only did the companies dump hazardous waste in transfer stations, landfills and trash cans, the district attorney alleged, but employees often failed to separate the waste or determine whether the waste was dangerous in the first place.
According to court documents, the defendants failed to maintain a legal storage program on site, which in some cases led to hazardous waste leaking while still in containers.
As for customers’ personal information, printed service orders, contracts, invoices and route reports containing sensitive information were thrown into regular trash cans, according to the complaint.
Under California privacy law, the material should have been shredded or rendered illegible.
“The Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office is dedicated to ensuring that businesses are held accountable for actions that endanger the environment and the public.” Atty. .
The pest control company will pay $3.15 million in damages, including a $2 million civil penalty. The rest will go towards environmental compliance, projects and research costs.
Ventura County will receive $125,000 in fines and $26,880 in additional costs, Nasarenko said.
The Contra Costa County Superior Court also required third-party auditors to inspect at least 10% of the company’s trash cans over the next five years, properly train employees, and spend a minimum of 2,000 hours annually reviewing and monitoring environmental compliance.
