Contra Costa County, CA — Three of the biggest names in pest control are on the hook for a combined $3.15 million after California prosecutors said they dumped pesticides and other hazardous waste into regular trash here in Contra Costa County– and tossed thousands of customers’ records without properly destroying them.
Clark Pest Control of Stockton, Orkin Services of California, and Crane Pest Control, all owned by Georgia-based Rollins Inc., operate more than 70 facilities statewide, including in the Bay Area. The civil case was led by the Contra Costa and San Mateo County District Attorneys and joined by 10 other DAs around the state.
According to prosecutors, the settlement resolves allegations that the companies violated California laws on pesticide disposal, hazardous waste management, and consumer privacy.
Dumpster audits launched from the Bay Area
The investigation started in 2021, when the Contra Costa and San Mateo County DAs opened a joint probe into how the companies were handling their waste.
From March 2021 through February 2022, undercover investigators across California conducted waste audits at 22 Clark and Orkin facilities, checking 40 dumpsters.
What they say they found inside reads like a checklist of things that should not go into regular trash headed to municipal landfills:
- Containers of pesticide liquids, powders, foams, baits, pellets, and aerosol sprays
- Ignitable or corrosive chemicals and other hazardous waste
- Batteries, electronics and other e-waste
- Hand sanitizer, adhesives, caulking, and facility cleaning solutions
In some cases, investigators reported finding pesticide containers that had not been properly “triple rinsed” or emptied before disposal, meaning significant amounts of product were still inside.
On top of the environmental issues, inspectors also said they discovered thousands of customer records tossed in the trash without being shredded — including service orders, contracts, invoices, and route reports containing names and other personal information. State law requires businesses to make that kind of data unreadable before disposal.
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How the $3.15M settlement breaks down
Under a stipulated judgment filed in Contra Costa County Superior Court, Clark, Orkin, and Crane will collectively pay:
- $2,017,000 in civil penalties
- $400,000 for supplemental environmental projects
- $333,000 to reimburse investigative costs
- $400,000 in credit for additional environmental compliance measures
The case was brought on behalf of 12 counties: Contra Costa, San Mateo, Alameda, Santa Clara, San Joaquin, Solano, Sonoma, Yolo, Monterey, Orange, Riverside, San Diego, and Ventura.
Five years of audits, training, and compliance reforms
Beyond the money, the judgment locks in a five-year injunction that effectively puts the companies under environmental and privacy probation. Among other requirements, Clark, Orkin, and Crane must:
- Hire a third-party auditor to conduct dumpster audits at at least 10 percent of their facilities each year
- Report audit findings to prosecutors in the participating counties
- Ensure all facility employees complete training on hazardous waste and pesticide disposal rules, and keep proof of that training for three years
- Devote a minimum of 2,000 hours every year to enhanced environmental compliance, including checking waste areas, overseeing waste minimization, and monitoring hazardous waste practices
The operational reforms apply across the companies’ California locations, including their sites in the East Bay and greater Bay Area.
What the companies — and customers — are saying
Once the violations were brought to their attention, prosecutors say Clark and Orkin cooperated with the investigation and moved to shore up their policies on waste handling and customer privacy.
In a statement to Bay Area media, an Orkin spokesperson said the company worked with district attorneys to resolve the case and has upgraded its operational and service processes to align with what it describes as the industry’s highest standards.
For Bay Area residents who use these services, the case is a reminder of two things:
- Hazardous waste does not belong in regular trash. Pesticides and related chemicals typically have specific disposal rules, and some must go to specialized facilities.
- Your personal information should be handled carefully. Even something as simple as a service slip should not end up in a dumpster where anyone could retrieve it.
If you are a customer of any of the companies involved, you do not need to do anything specific as a result of this settlement, but you can ask your provider how they now handle unused product, empty containers, and customer records.
