LOS ANGELES — Verizon Wireless will pay $7.7 million to settle a civil enforcement action alleging widespread violations of California environmental laws.
Cellco Partnership, doing business as Verizon Wireless, had been cited for failing to properly report hazardous materials, pay required permit fees, allow regulatory inspections, and comply with laws regulating aboveground petroleum storage tanks used to power emergency generators and backup systems, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced Friday. The accord signed Friday by Orange County Superior Court Judge Richard Y. Lee, resolves those allegations and requires the company to pay $7.1 million in civil penalties, $375,000 in supplemental environmental compliance projects and $200,000 in investigative costs.
“Companies that store hazardous materials have a legal obligation to protect the public, first responders, and the environment,” Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said. “This settlement underscores that even the largest corporations must follow California’s environmental laws, and when they don’t, they will be held accountable.”…