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Hazardous Waste Court Cases

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has created standards and regulations to protect American citizens from hazardous waste products. The EPA defines hazardous waste as waste dangerous or potentially harmful to our health or the environment. Hazardous wastes come in the form of liquid, solid, gas or sludge, and cases involving hazardous waste regulations are numerous.

  1. Safety-Kleen/Laidlaw Landfill

    • Once referred to as Laidlaw, the Safety-Kleen landfill was located near Pinewood, South Carolina. Though landfills are legal, this particular one was situated just 1,200 feet from Lake Marion. The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) found this facility has a greater degree of risk to public health than any other landfill in the state. The Sierra Club appealed the permit of the hazardous waste landfill and won its fight after 15 years of litigation. Though the company appealed, the South Carolina Supreme Court rejected it and the Safety-Kleen/Laidlaw landfill was closed in September 2000.

    Wal-Mart Case

    • A haven for discount shoppers from coast to coast, Wal-Mart was found guilty of illegal dumping in California. In San Diego, the corporation agreed to pay $27.6 million as a settlement against allegations of improperly handling and dumping waste at its stores throughout California. The settlement comes at the end of a five-year investigation that included more than 20 prosecutors and 32 groups in support of the environment. Allegedly, all of the 236 California stores, which include Sam's Club Warehouse stores, were involved in violating environmental laws and regulations.

    Washington University Hazardous Waste Case

    • Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, is home to one of the most prestigious medical schools in the U.S. However, both its medical school and Danforth campuses were fined by EPA Region 7 for having waste management issues. One of the violations involved the storing of 13 drums of flammable fluid on the fourth floor of the Medical School building. As a part of its settlement, the university must implement an environmental project that focuses on hazardous waste issues in high schools within the St. Louis Public School District.

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