San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan disclosed that Firestone Complete Auto Care has agreed to a more than $3 million settlement with her office and 28 other prosecutors in an environmental protection case that alleged the company unlawfully disposed of hazardous waste at Firestone service centers across California, including in San Diego County.
On February 4, a judge ordered $2.87 million in civil penalties to be paid by Bridgestone Retail Operations, LLC, the company that does business as Firestone Complete Auto Care at more than 150 locations in California. The civil complaint, filed in Santa Clara County Superior Court, alleged that the automotive repair company did not properly manage hazardous waste, such as solvents, automotive fluids, aerosols, batteries and electronic devices. The settlement also resolves allegations that the company failed to redact or shred confidential customer information before throwing the paperwork in the trash.
Firestone was also ordered to pay $350,000 for the cost of the investigation and $725,000 in agreed-upon compliance and training expenditures. Firestone cooperated with prosecutors and took steps to improve its compliance practices.
The San Diego District Attorney’s Office will receive about $227,000 from the judgment.
Published in the May 2022 Edition
