Wal-Mart photo labs & hazardous wastes

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RJBender

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SACRAMENTO -- Wal-Mart, one of the largest companies in the world, is now under criminal investigation -- accused of cutting corners, ignoring state and federal regulations, and illegally disposing of hazardous waste, KCRA 3 Investigates' Josh Bernstein reported.

The investigation involves stores all over Northern California. From California to Nevada, inspections and records are pointing out dozens of violations.

Inspections conducted at Wal-Mart stores in Elk Grove, Natomas, Folsom and the other Wal-Marts in Sacramento County show a pattern of violations.

Documents obtained exclusively by KCRA 3 show county inspectors found that Wal-Mart has routinely failed to provide proper training to its employees on how to handle, store and dispose of hazardous material.


At the store on Watt Avenue in Sacramento, inspectors pointed out oil tanks that had not been labeled as hazardous waste, and chemicals used to absorb oil being illegally mixed in with the trash.

In Natomas, records show, the photo lab has been releasing chemicals into the sewer. And in Folsom, an inventory of hazardous materials was missing.
Inspection after inspection pointed out that Wal-Mart has been illegally disposing of hazardous materials.
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source: http://www.kcra.com/news/5862474/detail.html

If you use Wal-Mart's photo lab, ask the lab personnel how they dispose of their chemicals.

R.J.
 
RJBender said:
source: http://www.kcra.com/news/5862474/detail.html

If you use Wal-Mart's photo lab, ask the lab personnel how they dispose of their chemicals.

R.J.
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trained personel at W-Mart. ... I didn't know they did that. From the tales of woe about W-Mart film processing I assumed they gave the job of processing film to who ever raised their hand when asked 'who wants to process some film'. I love enthusiasm. Just not with my film thanks.
 
After finishing Barbara Ehrenhreich's Nickel and Dimed in America last night, this news item won't surprise me. As long as your money goes into the register, whatever else comes afterwards makes very little sense.

And, of course, I haven't used their labs in about 2 years. I'd rather pay a bit more instead.
 
jan normandale said:
trained personel at W-Mart. ... I didn't know they did that. From the tales of woe about W-Mart film processing I assumed they gave the job of processing film to who ever raised their hand when asked 'who wants to process some film'. I love enthusiasm. Just not with my film thanks.
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smilielol.gif

LOL
I need to go to North Carolina where the clerks put your photos on the counter and say, you ain't no professional!

R.J.
 
Wallyworld is a favorite whipping boy for those of certain persuasions. Leave it to some news maven to smell a story - or to make one out whatever is at hand.

BTW, if you do darkroom work, where do YOU dump you chemicals??
 
dll927 said:
Wallyworld is a favorite whipping boy for those of certain persuasions. Leave it to some news maven to smell a story - or to make one out whatever is at hand.

BTW, if you do darkroom work, where do YOU dump you chemicals??
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I'm not processing film. I'd like to; but like you point out handling and disposal is a concern. How do you handle it?
 
dll927 said:
Wallyworld is a favorite whipping boy for those of certain persuasions. Leave it to some news maven to smell a story - or to make one out whatever is at hand.

BTW, if you do darkroom work, where do YOU dump you chemicals??
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It's my understanding that California's environmental protection laws are stricter than those in other states. 😕

You live there. What do they do in California? Around here, folks probably dump the stuff down the drain. It goes to a sewage treatment facility and back into the Mississippi River. People downstream "treat" it and use it for drinking water. Here in St. Louis, we're probably drinking Wallyworld photolab chemicals from Chicago.


R.J.
 
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Mr. (or ms.) dll927,

If this is true, this isn't just some overblown issue. Walmart is a huge corporation. Their processing is done on a massive scale compared to what you or I do with our darkroom, and there are strict regulations (that vary by state) on the treatment of large amounts of waste by such institutions. And really we're talking about people's health. So damn right they should be investigated!!
 
I no longer develop my own stuff. I did years ago, and I still have my enlarger and some other equiment, but it hasn't been used in years. When I did use it I lived in an apartment and later in a condo. The stuff went down the drain. What else can you do?

I never got into color printing, however at one time I did a lot of slide film processing. I'm sure some of that stuff is worse than chemicals for black & white.
 
dll927 said:
BTW, if you do darkroom work, where do YOU dump you chemicals??
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I take them to my local photo-haz-mat disposal site: the nearby state college. Disposal is free and friendly.

And for that matter, I take my used engine oil to schuck's, where disposal is also free and friendly.

Everybody should do this. Even megacorporations. Especially megacorporations.
 
SHOCKING ... this from a company whose biggest manufacturing partner is China, where it is apparently the norm to dump toxic heavy metals into the drinking water, and then claim that there are no adverse health effects. Wonder if the ruling members of the Party are drinking from the river?
 
The stuff went down the drain. What else can you do?
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There are many alternatives to washing your nasty chemicals down the drain, as other posters have suggested. I dispose of my fixer through a local high school's photo program.

There are 5 billion of us. We need to all be responsible for our actions, from individuals to corporations to nations, and if Walmart is caught dumping dangerous chemicals in the name of saving a buck, they should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
 
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