Riverside County Reaches Settlement With Verizon Over Hazardous Materials Violations at Cell Towers

A settlement has been reached between Riverside County and Verizon Wireless following an investigation into hazardous materials violations at communication tower sites across Southern California.

According to the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office, the violations involved the improper oversight of hazardous materials, including batteries and petroleum products, stored at tower facilities.

Deputy District Attorney Lauren Martineau said the issue was not tied to a specific incident causing harm, but rather a failure to put proper prevention measures in place. Investigators found that Verizon did not adequately train employees to handle hazardous materials, nor did it ensure that first responders had accurate information about what was stored on-site in case of an emergency.

The District Attorney’s Office became involved in 2024 after discovering that Verizon had failed to allow inspections at multiple locations and had not paid required permit fees. Officials said this created risks for employees, emergency responders, and the environment.

"If there were some sort of release of petroleum, it could definitely affect our groundwater for the residents of Riverside County as well as Southern California," Martineau said.

The investigation resulted in a $7.7 million judgment, including more than $315,000 in civil penalties for Riverside County’s Department of Environmental Health. County officials say Verizon is now in compliance, and there are currently no known impacts to residents.

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