(Reuters) – Walmart has agreed to pay $7.5 million to resolve civil charges that the largest U.S. retailer illegally disposed hazardous waste and medical waste from its facilities in California municipal landfills.

The settlement was announced on Tuesday by California Attorney General Rob Bonta.

He said the settlement followed more than 70 waste audits between 2015 and 2021, which found thousands of containers of toxic aerosols and liquid wastes including spray paints, rust removers, bleach, pesticides and medical waste such as over-the-counter drugs.

(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Leslie Adler)