This week Home Depot got slapped with a grand jury subpoena, served up by the U.S. Attorney??s office in Los Angeles. The grand jury wants to review Home Depot documents and information detailing the company??s handling, storage and disposal of hazardous waste. This investigation was not announced by Home Depot, it was found by reporters reviewing Home Depot’s “form 8-K” filing with the federal Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), made on July 29th. In a statement to the Home Channel News, an industry newsletter, Home Depot said it was “committed to responsible environmental practices. As part of its corporate-wide compliance program, the company seeks to ensure adherence to all environmental laws and regulations. We are cooperating fully with the respective authorities.” Home Depot is the 34th. largest corporation in the world, and third largest retailer, behind only Wal-Mart and the French retailer Carrefour. It is also one of the largest repositories of hazardous materials that will ever locate near your neighborhood under the guise of a commercial activity.
When Home Depot comes knocking on your local town’s back door for a building permit, recall that the company stores all of its hazardous materials right in the store. The retail store doubles as a warehouse, most of its stock piled high over your head. To see a list of the flammable and hazardous substances and liquids that this huge hardware store stocks, or to read reports of fires at home improvement big boxes, contact [email protected]. There have been several fires at Home Depot and Lowe’s stores, and they have the potential to be very dangerous blazes, because of all the chemicals, fertilizers and pesticides stored in the facility. In one Home Depot fire in Massachusetts, all the firefighters had to be decontaminated after the fire was out. Special hazmat teams were needed to contain the blaze. This latest story of the grand jury in Los Angeles suggests that Home Depot’s disposal practices for hazardous materials are being investigated. Just one more reason not to want a Home Depot in your neighborhood.
