Wal-Mart to pay Utah $558,000 fine

0 Comments | Deseret News (Salt Lake City), May 13, 2004

The state is expected to receive more than half a million dollars from Wal-Mart after government officials found violations of storm- water regulations at store construction sites.

A consent decree filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Delaware requires the retail giant to pay a $3.1 million penalty for violations. Most of the money will end up at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, but Utah is slated to receive $558,000. Tennessee, where state attorneys also decided to pursue violations of the federal Clean Water Act, will receive the rest, Utah Assistant Attorney General Laura Lockhart said.

Last May, EPA and Utah Division of Environmental Quality officials inspected five Utah Wal-Mart stores: a Riverdale store, 4848 S. 900 West; a supercenter in West Jordan, 7671 S. 3800 West; a Sam's Club in West Jordan, 7571 S. 3800 West; a Sam's Club in Logan, 145 W. Cache Valley Blvd.; and a supercenter in West Valley City, 3180 S. 5600 South, court documents say.

Runoff from construction sites can pollute the nation's water and is a primary contributor to water impairment, according to a statement released Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Justice and the EPA.

The consent decree was negotiated between Department of Justice and Wal-Mart attorneys, Lockhart said.

In addition to the $3.1 million penalty, Wal-Mart agreed to pay $250,000 to protect sensitive wetlands or waterways in California, Colorado, Delaware, Michigan, New Jersey, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas and Utah -- states where violations occurred, though not all chose to pursue the matter in court.