Three Dollar Tree stores in Santa Barbara County will have to pay $1,250 in civil penalties and $1,125 to the county’s Environmental Health Services as part of a $2.72 million statewide settlement. Alameda County Superior Court Judge Morris Jacobson handed down the fine for after a statewide investigation revealed toxic products and batteries and electronic devices at its 480 stores. According to the Santa Barbara District Attorney’s Office, which worked with 45 other top cops, the convenience store chain illegally transported such materials to local landfills, not authorized hazardous waste facilities. The retail chain was also ordered to implement an improved hazardous waste compliance program at its stores.
