Comcast has agreed to pay around $26 million to settle a case in California, where the state claimed the company illegally dumped hazardous materials into local landfills and and failed to shred customers' private information in the process.
According to investigators in Alameda County, California, Comcast had sent a ton of old equipment from its dispatch and warehouse facilities — including remote controls and modems — to landfills that weren't supposed to receive those items.
And according to California's Attorney General Kamala Harris, Comcast's dumps included personal information about customers, including their names, addresses, and phone numbers, that was supposed to be shredded first.
"Comcast's careless and unlawful hazardous waste disposal practices jeopardized the health and environmental well-being of California communities and exposed their customers to the threat of identity theft," Harris said in a statement.
Comcast was only first made aware of the investigation in 2012, and according to Harris, the company has since improved its practices for disposing old equipment and records, and has even agreed to hire an independent auditor to ensure the company is complying with rules and regulations for the next five years.
Comcast spokesman Bryan Bird also released this statement to SFGate: "We have devoted considerable time and resources toward our environmental compliance and have taken a number of steps to improve our practices," he said.
Comcast will pay $19.85 million in civil costs and penalties, $3 million to fund efforts to protect the environment, $2.4 million to fund public service announcements over the next four years on proper dumping protocols, and at least $700,000 to improve Comcast's practices in these areas related to environmental awareness and safety.
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