District Attorney Joyce E. Dudley said the $5.9 million settlement was the largest awarded statewide for that type of environmental violation – failure to report hazardous materials.
The final judgment and order entered Monday calls for $5.65 million in civil penalties, including $613,479 to the District Attorney’s Office and $110,625 to County Environmental Health Services, and a an additional $250,000 for additional environmental projects to the Certified Unified Program Agency Forum Environmental Protection Trust. Budget.
The order requires AT&T to comply with environmental laws and regulations.
Dudley said the civil action accused AT&T of failing to report batteries used to power emergency generators on more than 3,200 cell phone towers and other facilities across the state. to the California Environmental Reporting System.
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Although prosecutors have no evidence of environmental damage at any of the sites, AT&T remains liable for not disclosing hazardous materials.
Dudley said AT&T disclosed the violations and cooperated with statewide investigations, including those conducted by the Santa Barbara County Prosecutor’s Office and the Attorney General’s Office. Area.
“Determining the presence of hazardous materials is critical to public safety and emergency preparedness,” Dudley said. “Whether you run a small business or a large corporation, these assets can be at risk, and the law must be in place to protect us all.”
California businesses that handle 55 gallons, 200 cubic feet, or 500 pounds of hazardous materials must submit a hazardous materials business plan to CERS with the location, type, quantity and health risk of the materials. .
That information is shared with firefighters, health officials, public safety agencies and regulatory agencies to protect the public and first responders as well as the environment.
