Settlement of a civil suit against Verizon Wireless stemming from alleged environmental violations will net Riverside County more than $1 million in penalties and fees, it was announced Thursday.
According to the District Attorney’s Office, a lawsuit filed following a years-long investigation that began in 2019 was resolved pretrial, culminating in Verizon Wireless, which is under the proprietorship of Bedminster, New Jersey-based Cellco Partnership, agreeing to a $7.7 million payout to the plaintiffs.
Along with the Riverside County D.A.’s office, those in Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, San Diego and Ventura counties joined in the action, as well as the Office of the City Attorney for Los Angeles.
The case was heard in Orange County Superior Court, where the settlement was formally signed by a judge on Jan. 2.
The civil complaint alleged that Verizon Wireless was negligent and deficient in its management of lead acid batteries and petroleum products required for operation of emergency generators and related systems to power equipment at sites throughout the region.
The company did not respond to calls for comment Thursday afternoon.
“The complaint alleges that Verizon repeatedly failed to submit complete and accurate `Hazardous Materials Business Plans’ to the California Environmental Reporting System,” according to the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office. “Verizon also failed to maintain copies of these plans onsite as required, and failed to provide adequate employee training for responding to hazardous material releases.”
Prosecutors further alleged that public inspections of facilities were stymied, and that the defendant “failed to pay required permit fees that support local oversight of hazardous materials.”
“These requirements exist to ensure that first responders, environmental regulators and public safety officials have accurate information about hazardous materials stored at commercial sites in the event of an emergency,” according to the plaintiffs.
Verizon Wireless has since rectified its policies and practices, prosecutors said.
The settlement will result in $827,191 being paid to the D.A.’s office to cover costs and penalties, while $318,375 will be going to the county Department of Environmental Health for similar reasons, according to prosecutors.