Environmental Background Information Center

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In January 1987, Los Angeles County District Attorney filed a felony complaint against Western Waste Industries, Inc., Angelus-Hudson, Inc., and Waste Management of California alleging that they were involved in a five year conspiracy to allocate markets and fix prices. Waste Management entered a plea of "no contest," similar to a nolo contendere plea and agreed to pay the maximum fine of $1 million. Mr Clifford Chamblee, a former manager of Waste Management of Gardena, and Mr. Wiley Scott, operations manager for Waste Management of Sun Valley were also charged.

In October of 1987, Waste Management, Inc., and Browning Ferris, Inc., of Houston, Texas, pled guilty to criminal felony charges involving price fixing and customer allocations in Toledo, Ohio. Each was fined $1 million.

In September, 1987, the Department of Justice filed felony information against Waste Management, Inc., of Florida, charging the company with engaging in a conspiracy to allocate customers for waste disposal services in Dade and Broward Counties in Southern Florida from as early as February, 1980, until at least November, 1985. The corporate prosecution stemmed from the same facts charged against Mr. Hoopengardner and Mr. Goodman. As part of a plea bargain, Waste Management waived indictment and agreed to prosecution by felony information. On January 15, 1988, Waste Management plead nolo contendere to one count of a Sherman Antitrust Act, Section 1 violation, and received the maximum fine of $1 million.

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