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Rollins Pest-Control Units to Pay $3.15 Million Over Illegal Waste and Privacy Violations

Undercover dumpster audits by 12 California prosecutors prompted court-ordered reforms following findings of unlawful disposal.

Overview

  • The stipulated judgment totals $3.15 million, including $2,017,000 in civil penalties, $400,000 for environmental projects, $333,000 for investigative costs, and $400,000 in credit for added compliance measures.
  • Clark Pest Control of Stockton, Orkin Services of California, and Crane Pest Control—subsidiaries of Georgia-based Rollins Inc.—were targeted by coordinated actions filed in Contra Costa County Superior Court.
  • Investigators conducted undercover inspections from March 2021 to February 2022, auditing 40 dumpsters at 22 Clark and Orkin facilities across multiple counties.
  • Audits documented thousands of pesticide items and other hazardous materials in regular trash bound for non-permitted landfills, along with printed customer records discarded without being rendered unreadable as required by state law.
  • The companies must implement at least five years of reforms, including third-party dumpster audits at a minimum of 10% of sites annually, employee training with retained proof, reporting to prosecutors, and a minimum of 2,000 hours each year devoted to environmental compliance.