American-based retail giant Walmart has been recently criticised for dumping pollutants from its stores into drains of 16 California counties. The retail giant will have to pay a fine of  $81 million as part of the plea after it pleaded guilty to improper disposal.

For more than a year, the retailer has been facing criticisms for various reasons. Now the company has pleaded guilty of dumping hazardous waste in various sites in California. Walmart will now have to pay this huge amount in order to settle misdemeanour charges around the issue. The fine also covers misdoings in Missouri. This also brings an end to an investigation that lasted for about a decade.

The retailer admitted that it negligently dumped the pollutants into the drains across California and also tossed waste into local trash bins. Some material was improperly taken to product return centres throughout the US, without any safety documentations.

It was also pointed out by the officials of Walmart that the case covered incidents which had happened between 2003 and 2005, but they insisted that the company has now changed its procedures. Brooke Buchanan, spokesperson for the company, said that they have fixed the problem and are obviously happy that this is a final resolution.