California Seeks Unpaid Fees From Wal-Mart, Home Depot

[Kadie]

State Seeks Unpaid Fees From Wal-Mart, Home Depot
KCRA 3 Investigates

POSTED: 8:50 am PST January 19, 2006
UPDATED: 9:46 am PST January 19, 2006


SACRAMENTO -- Earlier this month, KCRA 3 Investigates reported that Wal-Mart is under criminal investigation for allegedly shipping hazardous waste out of California, and now investigative reporter Josh Bernstein has learned that the state of California is looking at Wal-Mart and another "super store" for allegedly failing to pay millions of dollars in environmental fees.

State officials said Wal-Mart is breaking the law and cheating the state out of hundreds of thousands of dollars, and they said Wal-Mart is not alone.

Pesticide sales is a booming business, with California retailers ringing up $2 billion annually.

Smaller retailers say they're losing money to super stores, such as Wal-Mart. The "little guys" say they're not only being outsold but priced out of the market.


Stores that sell pesticides are required to pay a fee. But a KCRA 3 investigation has learned the state Department of Pesticide Regulation is going after Wal-Mart and other super stores, claiming they owe the state hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid fees. Exactly how much money Wal-Mart owes is not yet known.

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