Nearly a dozen district attorneys in the greater Bay Area announced Monday that they have reached a settlement with the cosmetics company Ulta Beauty for improperly storing, handling and disposing hazardous materials.
District attorneys from Solano, Contra Costa, Alameda, Marin, Monterey, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara and Sonoma counties were part of a lawsuit against Ulta Beauty Inc. that included a total of 34 district attorneys and city attorneys across the state.
According to the complaint filed by the district and city attorneys, Ulta Beauty stores across the state frequently handled flammable, reactive, toxic and corrosive materials like cosmetics, fragrances, nail polish and electronics and allegedly improperly disposed of them in standard trash containers and dumpsters rather than transporting them to a designated, legal hazardous waste facility.
The complaint also alleges that Ulta Beauty stores failed to properly document and store hazardous waste materials or train employees to handle and dispose of them.
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As part of the settlement, Ulta will be required to pay $752,000 in fines and implement a compliance program to ensure they properly dispose of hazardous materials in the future.
"Companies must be held responsible for business practices that pose a harm to the environment," Contra Costa County District Attorney Diana Becton said in a statement. "Ulta was cooperative throughout the investigation and in correcting the issues."
Ulta Beauty has 161 stores across the state, according to the Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office.
