Comcast Hit With $26M Penalty For Dumping Hazardous Waste

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Not only is Comcast in trouble for dumping hazardous waste, the company is also being fined for throwing away documents containing sensitive customer information without shredding them. :eek:

According to a complaint [PDF] filed last week by California Attorney General Kamala Harris and Alameda County District Attorney Nancy O’Malley, cable colossus Comcast warehouses and dispatch facilities in the state have allegedly spent the last ten years unlawfully disposing of hazardous waste products, including electronic equipment (remote controls, modems, power adapters) and batteries, in local landfills that were not permitted to receive these items.
 
I think it safe to say a relatively small fine of $26M for 10 years worth of hazardous garbage dumping is a great deal for Comcast. Saved a lot of money there is wager over partying to properly dispose of everything.
 
2.6 mil per year i suppose it's only comcast in California but still seems weak for 10 years of misconduct.
 
I'm trying to understand why this was posted......

At&T did this a year ago and nothing was posted?

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The Comcast complaint comes a little more than a year after Harris’ office reached a similar $23.8 million settlement with AT&T. In that case, California investigators found that more than 235 AT&T facilities in the state had illegally dumped electronic equipment, batteries, aerosol cans, as well as certain gels, liquids and other items used by AT&T service technicians in delivering telephone, Internet and video services to residential and business customers.
 
Comcast : Damnit, alright, $26 million you say? Go ahead and take it off that pile over there, no not that one, that's last week's profits, the one over near the closet.
 
Axehandler said:
I'm trying to understand why this was posted......

At&T did this a year ago and nothing was posted?

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The Comcast complaint comes a little more than a year after Harris’ office reached a similar $23.8 million settlement with AT&T. In that case, California investigators found that more than 235 AT&T facilities in the state had illegally dumped electronic equipment, batteries, aerosol cans, as well as certain gels, liquids and other items used by AT&T service technicians in delivering telephone, Internet and video services to residential and business customers.
Click to expand...

And that would be the point of this article. I'm reading as less about the environmental offense, and more about the State of California being broke and scrambling for income via fines and legal action. Last year AT&T and this year Comcast? Who will California target next that rents/provides evolving CPE? Dish?

And furthermore, look at the precedent this action set. I wonder which cash strapped states will look at AT&T/Comcast for settlements next...
 
The better hurry up and implement data caps so they can recoup some of this money!
 
Nate7311 said:
And that would be the point of this article. I'm reading as less about the environmental offense, and more about the State of California being broke and scrambling for income via fines and legal action. Last year AT&T and this year Comcast? Who will California target next that rents/provides evolving CPE? Dish?
Click to expand...

This.

Once they run out of companies to abuse, they will hire even more goons to start going through peoples trash cans. Next time you throw a compact florescent bulb in the trash, or a broken kids toy with a circuit board in it, expect a big fine in the mail.
 
Nate7311 said:
And that would be the point of this article. I'm reading as less about the environmental offense, and more about the State of California being broke and scrambling for income via fines and legal action. Last year AT&T and this year Comcast? Who will California target next that rents/provides evolving CPE? Dish?

And furthermore, look at the precedent this action set. I wonder which cash strapped states will look at AT&T/Comcast for settlements next...
Click to expand...
California does have debt largely collected between the mid 90's till stabilization after financial crisis but it hasn't been running a budget deficit for quite some time now and has been infact paying down it's principal debt. 26mil isn't a good cash grab anyways California has a multi billion dollar budget.
 
Sounds like California collecting a "paycheck". Nothing was said about Comcast removing the "toxic" material (i.e. grimy remotes, etc.) Should have trucked the material to New Mexico where the E.T. cartridges were dumped.
 
Semantics said:
California does have debt largely collected between the mid 90's till stabilization after financial crisis but it hasn't been running a budget deficit for quite some time now and has been infact paying down it's principal debt. 26mil isn't a good cash grab anyways California has a multi billion dollar budget.
Click to expand...

Legally they can't run a deficit, so instead they just sell bonds (i.e. put it on the credit card) or put off expenses till later.

If you include pensions and other debt obligations, we are still going further in the hole. The only reason they can make the appearance of balancing the budget is because of the huge amount of taxes they are raking in from the tech industry. When the current tech bubble pops, it will become apparent how much they have been fudging the numbers.
 
I'm sure all the fines will be passed along happily to the customer.
 
coreyb3 said:
The better hurry up and implement data caps so they can recoup some of this money!
Click to expand...

Pfft, some exec had this amount sitting in the bottom drawer of his desk labeled "Petty Cash".
 
Spidey329 said:
A better question, what hazardous waste does Comcast have?
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The entire company is a pile of hazardous waste.

No doubt it was probably less expensive for Comcast to pay the fines, as opposed to doing their due diligence with the waste.
 
Spidey329 said:
A better question, what hazardous waste does Comcast have?
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Electronic wastes like batteries and stuff. Not really what we're accustomed to imagining when reading about hazardous wastes: metal drums of glowing green sludge.
 
Dumping hazardous waste? Were they wearing a Hitler mustache while doing it?
 
staknhalo said:
Dumping hazardous waste? Were they wearing a Hitler mustache while doing it?
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Lol. I imagined that scene from The Simpsons episdoe where Mr. Burns was shown disposing of toxic waste barrels by cramming them into trees.
 
Spidey329 said:
A better question, what hazardous waste does Comcast have?
Click to expand...

Anything with a battery, computer chip, or a florescent bulb is considered hazardous waste in California, and is illegal to dump in your regular trash.

That includes not just TVs, monitors, compact florescent lights and computers, but cell phones, computer mice, power adapters, networking gear, MP3 players, flash drives and almost any electronic toy.
 
Hey, it's not fair to toxic waste to associate it with Comcast!
 
That 26M fine is probably less expensive than dealing with it properly, so smart decision for Comcast.

Dick decision, but smart.
 
"Pollution is just another conspiracy from left wing kooks. Governments have no business thinking they have any domain over the corporations that 'pollute'. Nobody can name any single good thing that ever came from organized government. Corporations, on the other hand, create jobs out of thin air. Companies always do what's best for the people, that's the nature of capitalism. Why if they didn't have the best interests of you and I at heart the people would crush them under the righteous left foot of the free market!"

Best if read aloud while making slurping and gagging sounds.
 
IM5pFVF.jpg


Dis someone say pollution?
 
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