Pinnacle Waste Class Action Settlement

A class action lawsuit (“the Action”) was filed in the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina, Greenville Division, entitled Pinnacle Waste Services, LLC v. Waste Connections US, Inc ., et al., No. 7:21-cv-02600-JDA (D.S.C.), alleging, among other things, that Waste Connections US, Inc., Waste Connections of South Carolina, Inc., Waste Connections of North Carolina, Inc., and Waste Connections Lone Star, Inc. (collectively, “Defendants”) as well as other subsidiaries and affiliates of Waste Connections, Inc. imposed rate increases and fuel surcharge fees on customers without contractual basis. The operative Complaint in the Action alleges claims for breach of contract, unjust enrichment, and breach of the duty of good faith and fair dealing. Defendants and all other subsidiaries and affiliates of Waste Connections, Inc. deny all allegations in the Action and any wrongdoing or liability.

On June 24, 2026, the Court preliminarily approved a settlement of the Action.

A class action lawsuit is a legal action in which one or more people represent a large group or class of people. The purpose of a class action lawsuit is to resolve at one time similar legal claims of the members of the group.

On June 24, 2026, the Court certified the following Settlement Class:

All persons and entities, including but not limited to corporations, partnerships, limited liability companies, non-profit organizations, governmental, quasi-governmental, and public bodies, and other organizations, to the extent not excluded below, that arranged for or received solid waste collection services in the United States from any Waste Connections Entity at any time during the Class Period.

Excluded from the Settlement Class are: (i) Waste Connections, Inc. and any Waste Connections Entity, and each of their respective officers, directors, affiliates, legal representatives, employees, successors, and assigns; (ii) the judge presiding over the Action and any member of the Court’s staff and their immediate family members; (iii) any customer that received solid waste collection services pursuant to a Franchise Agreement between a Waste Connections Entity and a municipality or other governmental entity and did not have an individual Service Agreement with a Waste Connections Entity; (iv) any customer that received solid waste collection services from a Waste Connections Entity in a Rate Regulated Market; (v) any HOA and any customer receiving solid waste collection services pursuant to an agreement between an HOA and a Waste Connections Entity; (vi) Residential Customers; (vii) any customer with a Service Agreement that contains a binding Class Action Waiver; (viii) all brokers listed on Exhibit F and all persons or entities that received solid waste collection services from any Waste Connections Entity as part of an arrangement with a broker listed on Exhibit F; and (ix) Temporary Roll-Off Service customers of a Waste Connections Entity.

Defendants have agreed to pay One Million, Four-Hundred Thousand Dollars (USD) ($1,400,000.00) to settle the Action and related attorneys’ fees, costs, and expenses and any service award approved by the Court.

Any Settlement Class Member that wishes to submit a Claim must timely complete, sign, and submit a Claim Form. Claim Forms will be able to be completed and submitted on the Settlement Website at PinnacleWasteSettlement.com. Paper copies of Claim Forms can be downloaded from the Settlement Website and then submitted by mail to the Settlement Administrator at the address below. The Claim Form must be postmarked or electronically submitted to the Settlement Website by October 22, 2026. If you do not submit a complete and signed Claim Form by October 22, 2026, you will not receive any settlement payment, but you will still be bound by the release in the Settlement and the judgment dismissing the Action with prejudice.

If the Settlement is approved, your settlement payment (less applicable withholding and deductions) will be mailed to you at the address Defendants have on file or that is otherwise made known to the Settlement Administrator. The check will expire after ninety (90) days.

You may be subject to state and/or federal taxes on your settlement payment, including income taxes and payroll taxes, as well as other regular deductions. You are responsible for all taxes that may be due on your settlement payment, and you should consult with your own accountants or other tax professionals to determine what, if any, taxes may be owed.

Please mail your signed and completed Claim Form to:

Pinnacle v. Waste Connections US, Inc. Settlement Administrator
P.O. Box 5800
Portland, OR 97228-5800

The Court has not decided in favor of either side in the Action. Plaintiff and Class Counsel believe the claims have merit. Defendants deny all allegations of wrongdoing or liability against them whatsoever and further contend that their conduct was lawful. Defendants are settling to avoid the expense, inconvenience, and inherent risk of litigation with respect to the Action. Plaintiff and Class Counsel believe that the proposed settlement is in the best interest of the Settlement Class because it provides appropriate recovery for Settlement Class Members now, while avoiding the risk, expense, and delay of pursuing the case through trial and any appeals, including the possibility of no recovery at all.

The Final Approval Hearing has been set for December 7, 2026, at 10:00 AM EST before the Honorable Jacquelyn D. Austin of the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina, in the Carroll A. Campbell, Jr. U.S. Courthouse, 250 East North Street Greenville, South Carolina 29601. The hearing may be moved to a different date or time without additional notice, so it is a good idea to check ahead. At the Final Approval Hearing, the Court will hear any comments from the parties or objections timely submitted to the Court concerning the fairness of the proposed Settlement, including the amount requested for attorneys’ fees, costs, and expenses and any service award to the Class Representative. At this hearing, the Court will consider whether the proposed Settlement is fair, reasonable, and adequate. The Court will also consider how much Class Counsel may receive in fees and reimbursement for their costs and expenses and how much the Class Representative may receive as a service award, all to be paid from the Settlement Amount. If there are objections or comments timely submitted to the Court, the Court will consider them at this time.

You do not need to attend the Final Approval Hearing to remain a Settlement Class Member or to obtain any benefits under the proposed Settlement. You or your own personal attorney may attend the hearing if you wish, at your own expense. You do not need to attend this hearing to have properly submitted and served a written objection to be considered by the Court. After the hearing, the Court will decide whether to approve the Settlement.

If you would like to be excluded from the Settlement, you must mail a written Request for Exclusion to the Settlement Administrator at the address below. Your Request for Exclusion must be postmarked no later than October 7, 2026. Your Request for Exclusion must clearly state that you want to be excluded from the Settlement, for example by stating, “[Person or Entity Name] requests to be excluded from the class action Settlement,” or by using similar clear and unambiguous language. Your Request for Exclusion must also include your printed name, current address, telephone number, email address (if any), the address where solid waste collection services were rendered during the Class Period by a Waste Connections Entity, and the actual written signature of you or your authorized representative. Requests for Exclusion may be submitted only on an individual basis.

To:
Pinnacle v. Waste Connections US, Inc. Settlement Administrator
P.O. Box 5800
Portland, OR 97228-5800

If you do not submit a timely and valid written Request for Exclusion, you will remain in the Settlement Class and will be bound by all subsequent proceedings, orders, and judgments in this Action, including the Release, the Final Approval Order, and the Final Judgment, even if you have litigation pending, or later initiate litigation, against any Released Party relating to the Released Claims.

You can comment in opposition to the proposed Settlement, including the amount requested for attorneys’ fees, costs, and expenses and any service award to the Class Representative, which is known as an objection, and you have the right to appear before the Court to express your opposition. Your written objection in opposition to the Settlement must be submitted in writing directly to the Court (with copies served concurrently on Class Counsel, Counsel for Defendants, and the Settlement Administrator) so that it is postmarked on or before October 7, 2026, to the following address:

Clerk of the Court
United States District Court
District of South Carolina
Carroll A. Campbell, Jr. U.S. Courthouse
250 East North Street
Greenville, SC 29601
RE: Pinnacle Waste Services, LLC v. Waste Connections US, Inc., et al., No. 7:21-cv-02600-JDA

Copies to be served to the following addresses as well:

Any Settlement Class Member may present a detailed written statement of the objection(s) and the aspect(s) of the Settlement being challenged, as well as the specific reasons, if any, for each such objection, including any evidence and legal authority that the Settlement Class Member wishes to bring to the Court’s attention. To be valid and considered by the Court, any such written objection must also state:

1. the Settlement Class Member’s printed name, address, telephone number, and email address (if any);
2. evidence showing that the objector is a Settlement Class Member, including the address of the location where solid waste collection services were rendered by a Waste Connections Entity;
3. any other supporting papers, materials, or briefs that the objecting Settlement Class Member wishes the Court to consider when reviewing the objection;
4. the actual written signature of the authorized representative of the Settlement Class Member making the objection; and
5. a statement whether the objecting Settlement Class Member and/or its counsel intend to appear at the Final Approval Hearing.

A Settlement Class Member may object on its own behalf or through an attorney; however, even if represented, the Settlement Class Member must sign the objection through an authorized representative, and all attorneys who are involved in any way asserting objections on behalf of the Settlement Class Member must be listed on the objection papers. Any lawyer who intends to appear at the Final Approval Hearing must enter a written Notice of Appearance of Counsel with the Clerk of the Court no less than twenty (20) days before the Final Approval Hearing.

If the Settlement Class Member or the attorney appearing on its behalf in connection with this objection has objected to a class action settlement on any prior occasion, the objection shall also disclose all cases in which the Settlement Class Member and/or such attorney filed an objection, identified by caption, court, and case number, and for each case, the disposition of the objection.

Any objector that submits and serves a timely written objection as described above may appear at the Final Approval Hearing, through counsel or through an authorized representative (if permitted by the Court), to object to the fairness, reasonableness, or adequacy of any aspect of the Settlement on the basis set forth in the written objection. If you make your objection or appearance at the Final Approval Hearing through an attorney, you will be responsible for your personal attorney’s fees and costs.

If you do not object as described above, you will be deemed to have released the claims at issue against Defendants as explained below and will otherwise be bound by the proposed Settlement.

If you do nothing, you will not receive any money from this settlement. Unless you exclude yourself, you will give up your right to start a lawsuit, continue a lawsuit, or participate in any other lawsuit against the Released Parties (defined below) concerning the legal claims in this case.

IF THE COURT APPROVES THE PROPOSED SETTLEMENT AFTER THE FINAL APPROVAL HEARING, IT WILL ENTER A JUDGMENT DISMISSING THE LAWSUIT WITH PREJUDICE AND RELEASING ALL RELATED CLAIMS AGAINST DEFENDANTS BASED ON THE ALLEGATIONS IN THE LAWSUIT, AND THE PROPOSED SETTLEMENT WILL BE YOUR SOLE MECHANISM FOR OBTAINING ANY RELIEF FROM DEFENDANTS WITH RESPECT TO THESE CLAIMS.

Plaintiff and each Settlement Class Member and, to the extent acting or asserting rights in such capacity or on behalf of, or derived from the rights of, Plaintiff or a Settlement Class Member, each of their respective predecessors, successors, assigns, parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, divisions, officers, directors, shareholders, members, managers, partners, principals, agents, representatives, and employees, and any person or entity claiming by, through, or under any of them will release and forever discharge Defendants, Waste Connections, and each and every Waste Connections Entity, and each of their respective past, present, and future parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, divisions, predecessors, successors, and assigns, and all of their past, present, and future directors, officers, managers, members, employees, agents, servants, representatives, attorneys, accountants, advisors, consultants, insurers and reinsurers, shareholders, investors, owners, trustees, principals, fiduciaries, general and limited partners, joint ventures, administrators, and contractors, subcontractors, vendors, and other service providers (including sub-vendors) (collectively, the “Released Parties”) of: any and all claims, causes of action, demands, debts, suits, liabilities, obligations, damages, entitlements, losses, judgments, costs, expenses, actions, rights, and remedies of any kind, nature and description, whether known or unknown, suspected or unsuspected, asserted or unasserted, foreseen or unforeseen, accrued or unaccrued, liquidated or unliquidated, fixed or contingent at law or in equity, that Plaintiff or any Settlement Class Member (including each of their respective successors, heirs, estates, beneficiaries, executors, administrators, assigns, representatives, agents, attorneys, trustees, guardians, conservators, affiliates, and anyone claiming by, through, or on behalf of any of them) ever had, now has, or may have against any Released Party during the Class Period, arising out of, based upon, relating to, or in any way connected with:

1. the pricing of and any fees and charges imposed by any Waste Connections Entity to any Settlement Class Member as well as any adjustments thereto;
2. any pricing, rate adjustments, fees, surcharges, fuel or environmental charges, administrative charges, or any other amounts billed, charged, assessed, collected, or paid by any Settlement Class Member to any Waste Connections Entity;
3. any alleged misrepresentation, omission, concealment, or other communications or disclosures concerning or related to any such pricing, charges, or any other amounts billed, charged, assessed, collected, or paid; and/or
4. the facts, transactions, events, practices, and conduct alleged in, that were or could have been alleged in, or that relate to the claims or defenses asserted in the Action, including without limitation any claims that were or could have been asserted in the Action under any federal, state, or local statute, regulation, ordinance, or common law, and under any legal or equitable theory.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, “Released Claims” do not include (i) claims for personal injury, wrongful death, or property damage (including subrogation for the same); (ii) any claim to enforce this Settlement Agreement; and (iii) claims based solely on conduct occurring after the Effective Date.

If the proposed Settlement is not approved, the case will proceed as if no settlement had occurred. There can be no assurance that if the Settlement is not approved and the case resumes that persons or entities in the Settlement Class will recover more than what is provided for under the Settlement or will recover anything at all.

From the beginning of the case to the present, Class Counsel has not received any payment for their services in pursuing this case or in obtaining this proposed Settlement, nor have they been reimbursed for any out-of-pocket costs they have incurred. Class Counsel will apply to the Court for an award of attorneys’ fees in an amount of up to $466,666.00, for reimbursement of costs and expenses incurred in the action of up to $75,000.00, and for a service award to the Plaintiff in an amount of up to $35,000.00. If the Court approves Class Counsel’s motion for attorneys’ fees, costs, and expenses and a service award for the Plaintiff, Class Counsel and the Plaintiff will be paid from the Settlement Fund. Settlement Class Members will not have to pay anything directly toward the attorneys’ fees, costs, or expenses of Class Counsel. You do not need to hire your own lawyer because Class Counsel is working on your behalf and will seek final approval of the Settlement on behalf of the Settlement Class Members. You may hire your own lawyer to represent you in this case if you wish, but it will be at your own expense.

This provides only a summary of the matters relating to the Settlement. More detailed information is provided on this Settlement Website and in the Settlement Agreement, which can be found on this Settlement Website. To see the complete case file, including the Settlement Agreement and all other documents filed in the Action, you may examine the court file at the office of the Clerk of the Court in the Carroll A. Campbell, Jr. U.S. Courthouse, 250 East North Street, Greenville, South Carolina 29601.

PLEASE DO NOT CONTACT THE COURT (INCLUDING THE CLERK OF THE COURT OR THE JUDGE) OR DEFENDANTS WITH QUESTIONS ABOUT THE SETTLEMENT OR THE ACTION.

If you change your mailing address or email address after you submit your Claim Form, it is your responsibility to inform the Settlement Administrator of your updated information. You may notify the Settlement Administrator by writing to:

Pinnacle v. Waste Connections Settlement Administrator
P.O. Box 5800
Portland, OR 97228-5800