Looks like Dish Network threw their Hopper in the wrong hopper.
Dish has agreed to pay $5.5 million to settle a lawsuit with California prosecutors for alleged improper dumping of e-waste.
"For years, Dish carelessly disposed of and sent hazardous waste to local landfills, ignoring the consequences for our communities and our environment," state Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement. "From there, hazardous chemical elements from electronic devices, batteries, aerosols, and more could seep into soil and contaminate our environment."
The settlement was agreed to with California Attorney General Rob Bonta's office and Alameda County District Attorney Nancy O'Malley's office.
The prosecutors allege that since 2005, Dish operations in Northern California have been sending hazardous waste to landfills that aren't equipped to handle it. For its part, Dish said it corrected the issues internally in 2012.
In addition to paying the settlement, Dish has agreed to have its dumpsters monitored so that they don't fill up with trash that shouldn't be in them. Dish employees now also must be trained not to put the wrong waste in the wrong place.
"We have been compliant since the end of 2012," Dish said in a statement. "While these issues have been addressed for years, we are pleased to have reached a settlement with the state, particularly one that recognizes our many waste training and management actions that go above-and-beyond the state legal requirements," the statement said.
