IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
Petitioner,
v.
REPUBLIC SERVICES, INC.,
Respondent.
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Supplemental to
Civil Action No. 00-1469 RU
Date: November 30, 2004
Judge Ricardo M. Urbina
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SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT AND ENFORCEMENT ORDER
WHEREAS Petitioner United States and Respondent Republic Services, Inc.
("Republic"), having filed a Joint Motion for Entry of this Settlement Agreement and
Enforcement Order on November 30, 2004, and Republic, having consented to the entry of this
Settlement Agreement and Enforcement Order without trial or adjudication of any issue of fact or
law herein, and without this Settlement Agreement and Enforcement Order constituting any
evidence against or an admission by Republic with respect to any allegation contained in the
Joint Motion;
AND WHEREAS Republic agrees to be bound by the provisions of this Settlement
Agreement and Enforcement Order pending its approval by the Court;
NOW, THEREFORE, before the taking of any testimony and without trial or adjudication
of any issue of fact or law herein, and upon the consent of the parties hereto, it is hereby
ORDERED, ADJUDGED, and DECREED as follows:
I. JURISDICTION
This Court has jurisdiction over the subject matter of this action and each of the parties
consenting hereto under 18 U.S.C. § 401(3) and under Section XIII of the Final Judgment ("FJ")
entered by this Court on September 8, 2000, in United States v. Allied Waste Indus., Inc., and
Republic Servs., Inc., Civil Action No. 00-1469.
II. APPLICABILITY AND EFFECT
- The provisions of this Settlement Agreement and Enforcement Order shall be binding
upon Republic, its successors and assigns, and those persons in active concert or
participation with Republic who receive actual notice of this Settlement Agreement and
Enforcement Order.
- This Settlement Agreement and Enforcement Order constitutes a full and complete
disposition of Republic's alleged violation of Paragraphs XII.A and B of the FJ, and shall
be a bar to any proceeding under the antitrust laws (15 U.S.C. § 1, et seq., 18 U.S.C. §
401) or any provision of the FJ by the United States against Republic based on or arising
out of any violation of Paragraphs XII.A and B in Columbus, OH; Lakeland, FL;
Louisville, KY/Sellersburg, IN; Macon, GA; Marlboro, NJ; and Mt. Laurel, NJ from
September 8, 2000, to November 30, 2004.
- Nothing in this Settlement Agreement and Enforcement Order shall bar the United States
from seeking, or the Court from imposing on Republic, any other relief available under
any applicable provision of law for any violation of the FJ or this Settlement Agreement
and Enforcement Order, other than violations of Paragraphs XII.A and B of the FJ in
Columbus, OH; Lakeland, FL; Louisville, KY/Sellersburg, IN; Macon, GA; Marlboro,
NJ; and Mt. Laurel, NJ from September 8, 2000, to November 30, 2004.
III.CIVIL PENALTY
- Judgment is entered in this matter in favor of the United States and against Republic, and
Republic is hereby ordered to a pay a civil penalty in the amount of $1.5 million.
- Payment shall be made by wire transfer of funds to the United States Treasury through the
Treasury Financial Communications System or by cashier's check made payable to the
Treasurer of the United States and delivered to the Chief, FOIA Unit, Antitrust Division,
Department of Justice, Liberty Place, 325 Seventh Street, N.W., Suite 200, Washington,
D.C. 20530. Republic shall pay the full amount of the civil penalty within thirty (30)
days of entry of this Settlement Agreement and Enforcement Order.
- In the event of a default in payment, interest at the rate of eighteen (18) percent per
annum shall accrue thereon from the date of default to the date of payment.
- Republic shall not claim this payment, in whole or in part, as a deductible expense by
Republic, its subsidiaries, divisions or affiliates for tax purposes under any state tax code,
the United States Tax Code, or the tax code of any other country.
IV. ENFORCEMENT PROVISIONS
- Republic shall alter its standard contract forms for its small container commercial solid
waste collection ("SCCSWC") customers in each of the six geographic regions identified
in Paragraph XII.B of the FJ, except in those regions where the contract forms have
already been so modified, and the contract forms shall contain the terms and conditions
set forth in Paragraph XII.B of the FJ ("Standard Contract"). Standard contract forms
may contain terms and conditions more restrictive than those set forth in Paragraph XII.B
of the FJ if required by local law.
- Effective immediately, the Standard Contract shall be offered to all new SCCSWC
customers and existing customers that sign new contracts.
- Within one hundred eighty (180) days of the entry of this Order, Republic shall exchange
any SCCSWC customer contract in each of the six markets identified in Section XII of
the FJ that contains any term or condition that exceeds those set forth in Paragraph XII.B
of the FJ with the Standard Contract. In the event that any customer does not consent to
Republic's proposal to exchange its customer contract, Republic shall communicate to
the customer in writing, in a form approved by the United States, that (1) Republic has
offered to exchange the customer's current contract with the Standard Contract; (2) the
customer has declined to accept Republic's proposed exchange of contracts; and (3)
notwithstanding the customer's decision, Republic shall not be entitled to enforceand
shall not enforceany terms of the customer's current contract that are less favorable to
the customer than the terms contained in the Standard Contract. Republic shall include a
copy of the Standard Contract with the written communication.
- If a new or existing customer offered the Standard Contract requests any term or
condition that exceeds those set forth in Paragraph XII.B of the FJ, any such term or
condition shall be hand-written on the Standard Contract, and Republic shall obtain the
customer's initials next to such hand-written term or condition.
- The Standard Contract is enforceable by the customer and Republic, except terms and
conditions that exceed those set forth in Paragraph XII.B of the FJ are not enforceable by
Republic pursuant to the FJ.
V. COMPLIANCE PROVISIONS
- No later than fifteen (15) days after the entry of this Settlement Agreement and
Enforcement Order, Republic shall designate a Compliance Officer who was not
involved, directly or indirectly, in any conduct alleged in the Joint Motion By The United
States And Republic Services Inc. For Entry Of Settlement And Enforcement Order, to
oversee and coordinate compliance with the FJ and this Settlement Agreement and
Enforcement Order. Republic shall provide the name of the individual serving as the
Compliance Officer to the United States.
- No later than thirty (30) days after the entry of this Settlement Agreement and
Enforcement Order, Republic shall create and provide to the United States a written
directive setting forth Republic's policies regarding compliance with the FJ and this
Settlement Agreement and Enforcement Order, including a description of the procedures
to be followed and the potential disciplinary actions Republic shall take in the event of a
violation. No later than forty-five (45) days after the entry of this Settlement Agreement
and Enforcement Order, Republic shall distribute to each officer, director, management
employee, and employee with responsibility for contracts with SCCSWC customers a
copy of the FJ, this Settlement Agreement and Enforcement Order, and the written
directive setting forth Republic's policies regarding compliance with the FJ and this
Settlement Agreement and Enforcement Order. In addition, Republic shall inform in
writing each officer, director, management employee, and employee with responsibility
for contracts with SCCSWC customers that noncompliance with the FJ or this Settlement
Agreement and Enforcement Order shall result, in every instance, in disciplinary action
by Republic, which may include dismissal and also may result in conviction for contempt
of court and imprisonment and/or a fine.
- No later than sixty (60) days after the entry of this Settlement Agreement and
Enforcement Order and annually thereafter, Republic shall obtain from each person to
whom notice is given pursuant to Paragraph V.B of this Settlement Agreement and
Enforcement Order, a certificate in substantially the following form:
The undersigned hereby (1) acknowledges receipt of the FJ,
Settlement Agreement and Enforcement Order, and a
written directive setting forth Republic's policy regarding
compliance with the FJ and the Settlement Agreement and
Enforcement Order; (2) represents that the undersigned has
read such FJ, Settlement Agreement and Enforcement
Order, and written directive and understands his or her
obligations for ensuring compliance with the FJ and the
Settlement Agreement and Enforcement Order; (3)
acknowledges that he or she has been advised and
understands that noncompliance with the FJ and/or the
Settlement Agreement and Enforcement Order shall result,
in every instance, in disciplinary measures by Republic
which may include dismissal and also may result in
conviction for contempt of court and imprisonment and/or a
fine; and (4) represents and affirms that he or she (a) is not
aware of any violations of the FJ or Settlement Agreement
and Enforcement Order occurring after entry of the
Settlement Agreement and Enforcement Order, or (b)
promptly notified the Compliance Officer of any violations
of which he or she has become aware.
All such certifications shall be retained by Republic and be available for inspection
pursuant to Section X of the FJ.
- No later than ninety (90) days after the entry of this Settlement Agreement and
Enforcement Order, and annually thereafter, Republic shall submit to the United States a
certificate signed under oath by the Compliance Officer representing that: (1) all steps
required by this Settlement Agreement and Enforcement Order and the FJ have been
accomplished, except for Paragraph IV.C above, to which Paragraph V.E below applies;
(2) the Compliance Officer either: (a) is not aware of, nor has been informed of, any
violations of either this Settlement Agreement and Enforcement Order or the FJ after the
entry of the Settlement Agreement and Enforcement Order; or (b) has reported all such
violations to the United States; and (3) the Compliance Officer has made a reasonable,
good faith effort to investigate any suspected violations of this Settlement Agreement and
Enforcement Order and/or the FJ of which the Compliance Officer has become aware.
Any such suspected violations and any investigation conducted by Republic shall be
described in the certification.
- No later than one hundred eighty (180) days after the entry of the Settlement Agreement
and Enforcement Order, Republic shall submit to the United States a certificate signed
under oath by the Compliance Officer acknowledging that Republic has complied with
Paragraph IV.C above.
VI. VISITORIAL RIGHTS PRESERVED
The monitoring and visitation provisions of Section X of the FJ shall apply to the activities of
Republic mandated under this Settlement Agreement and Enforcement Order.
VII. DURATION OF SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT AND ENFORCEMENT ORDER
This Settlement Agreement and Enforcement Order shall terminate upon the expiration of the FJ,
including any extensions.
VIII. RETENTION OF JURISDICTION
Jurisdiction is retained by this Court for the purpose of enabling any of the parties to this
Settlement Agreement and Enforcement Order to apply to this Court at any time for further
orders and directions as may be necessary or appropriate to carry out or construe this Settlement
Agreement and Enforcement Order, for the enforcement of compliance herewith, and for the
punishment of any violations hereof.
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_______________/s/________________
Hon. Ricardo M. Urbina
United States District Court Judge
District of Columbia
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DATED: November 30, 2004
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