<SEC-DOCUMENT>0001558370-22-004590.txt : 20220427
<SEC-HEADER>0001558370-22-004590.hdr.sgml : 20220427
<ACCEPTANCE-DATETIME>20220329151529
<PRIVATE-TO-PUBLIC>
ACCESSION NUMBER:		0001558370-22-004590
CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE:	CORRESP
PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT:		1
FILED AS OF DATE:		20220329

FILER:

	COMPANY DATA:	
		COMPANY CONFORMED NAME:			WASTE MANAGEMENT INC
		CENTRAL INDEX KEY:			0000823768
		STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION:	REFUSE SYSTEMS [4953]
		IRS NUMBER:				731309529
		STATE OF INCORPORATION:			DE
		FISCAL YEAR END:			1231

	FILING VALUES:
		FORM TYPE:		CORRESP

	BUSINESS ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		800 CAPITOL STREET, STE 3000
		CITY:			HOUSTON
		STATE:			TX
		ZIP:			77002
		BUSINESS PHONE:		7135126200

	MAIL ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		800 CAPITOL STREET, STE 3000
		CITY:			HOUSTON
		STATE:			TX
		ZIP:			77002

	FORMER COMPANY:	
		FORMER CONFORMED NAME:	USA WASTE SERVICES INC
		DATE OF NAME CHANGE:	19920703
</SEC-HEADER>
<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>CORRESP
<SEQUENCE>1
<FILENAME>filename1.htm
<TEXT>
<!--Enhanced HTML document created with Toppan Merrill Bridge  9.11.0.85--><!--Created on: 3/28/2022 11:28:37 PM (UTC)--><!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/loose.dtd"><html><head><meta charset="UTF-8"><title></title></head><body><div style="margin-top:30pt;"></div><div style="max-width:100%;padding-left:11.76%;padding-right:11.76%;position:relative;"><div style="clear:both;max-width:100%;position:relative;"><p style="font-family:'Calibri','Helvetica','sans-serif';font-size:11pt;line-height:1.19;text-align:justify;margin:0pt 0pt 24pt 0pt;"><font style="font-family:'Times New Roman','Times','serif';font-size:12pt;">[Waste Management, Inc. Letterhead]</font></p><p style="font-family:'Calibri','Helvetica','sans-serif';font-size:11pt;line-height:1.19;text-align:justify;margin:0pt 0pt 24pt 0pt;"><font style="font-family:'Times New Roman','Times','serif';font-size:12pt;">March 29, 2022</font></p><p style="font-family:'Calibri','Helvetica','sans-serif';font-size:11pt;line-height:1.19;text-align:justify;margin:0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;"><u style="font-family:'Times New Roman','Times','serif';font-size:12pt;font-style:italic;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-color:#000000;">Via EDGAR</u></p><p style="font-family:'Calibri','Helvetica','sans-serif';font-size:11pt;line-height:1.19;text-align:justify;margin:0pt;"><font style="font-family:'Times New Roman','Times','serif';font-size:12pt;">United States Securities and Exchange Commission</font></p><p style="font-family:'Calibri','Helvetica','sans-serif';font-size:11pt;line-height:1.19;text-align:justify;margin:0pt;"><font style="font-family:'Times New Roman','Times','serif';font-size:12pt;">Division of Corporation Finance</font></p><p style="font-family:'Calibri','Helvetica','sans-serif';font-size:11pt;line-height:1.19;text-align:justify;margin:0pt;"><font style="font-family:'Times New Roman','Times','serif';font-size:12pt;">Office of Energy &amp; Transportation</font></p><p style="font-family:'Calibri','Helvetica','sans-serif';font-size:11pt;line-height:1.19;text-align:justify;margin:0pt;"><font style="font-family:'Times New Roman','Times','serif';font-size:12pt;">100 F Street, NE</font></p><p style="font-family:'Calibri','Helvetica','sans-serif';font-size:11pt;line-height:1.19;text-align:justify;margin:0pt;"><font style="font-family:'Times New Roman','Times','serif';font-size:12pt;">Washington, D.C. 20549</font></p><p style="font-family:'Calibri','Helvetica','sans-serif';font-size:11pt;line-height:1.19;text-align:justify;margin:0pt;"><font style="font-family:'Times New Roman','Times','serif';font-size:12pt;">Attention: Steve Lo and Raj Rajan</font></p><p style="font-family:'Calibri','Helvetica','sans-serif';font-size:11pt;line-height:1.19;text-align:justify;margin:0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;"><font style="font-family:'Times New Roman','Times','serif';font-size:12pt;line-height:1.28;margin-bottom:8pt;visibility:hidden;">&#8203;</font></p><p style="font-family:'Calibri','Helvetica','sans-serif';font-size:11pt;line-height:1.19;margin:0pt;"><font style="display:inline-block;text-indent:0pt;width:36pt;"><font style="font-family:'Times New Roman','Times','serif';font-size:12pt;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;line-height:1.19;text-align:left;">Re: </font></font><b style="font-family:'Times New Roman','Times','serif';font-size:12pt;font-weight:bold;">Waste Management, Inc.</b><font style="font-family:'Times New Roman','Times','serif';font-size:12pt;"><br></font><font style="display:inline-block;width:36pt;"></font><b style="font-family:'Times New Roman','Times','serif';font-size:12pt;font-weight:bold;">Form 10-K for the Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2021</b></p><p style="font-family:'Calibri','Helvetica','sans-serif';font-size:11pt;line-height:1.19;margin:0pt;"><font style="display:inline-block;text-indent:0pt;width:36pt;"></font><b style="font-family:'Times New Roman','Times','serif';font-size:12pt;font-weight:bold;">Filed February 15, 2022<br></b><font style="display:inline-block;width:36pt;"></font><b style="font-family:'Times New Roman','Times','serif';font-size:12pt;font-weight:bold;">File No. 001-12154</b></p><p style="font-family:'Calibri','Helvetica','sans-serif';font-size:11pt;line-height:1.19;text-align:justify;margin:0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;"><font style="font-family:'Times New Roman','Times','serif';font-size:12pt;line-height:1.28;margin-bottom:8pt;visibility:hidden;">&#8203;</font></p><p style="font-family:'Calibri','Helvetica','sans-serif';font-size:11pt;line-height:1.19;text-align:justify;margin:0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;"><font style="font-family:'Times New Roman','Times','serif';font-size:12pt;">Dear Mr. Lo and Mr. Rajan:</font></p><p style="font-family:'Calibri','Helvetica','sans-serif';font-size:11pt;line-height:1.19;text-align:justify;margin:0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;"><font style="font-family:'Times New Roman','Times','serif';font-size:12pt;">We are responding to a comment received from the staff of the Division of Corporation Finance of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the &#8220;Staff&#8221;) dated March 22, 2022, relating to the above-referenced filing (the &#8220;Form 10-K&#8221;) of Waste Management, Inc. (the &#8220;Company&#8221;). We propose to address the Staff&#8217;s comment in this response letter and will amend the filing of our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 accordingly. For your convenience, our response is prefaced by the text of the comment.</font></p><p style="font-family:'Calibri','Helvetica','sans-serif';font-size:11pt;line-height:1.19;text-align:justify;margin:0pt 0pt 6pt 0pt;"><u style="font-family:'Times New Roman','Times','serif';font-size:12pt;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-color:#000000;">Form 10-K for the Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2021</u></p><p style="font-family:'Calibri','Helvetica','sans-serif';font-size:11pt;line-height:1.19;text-align:justify;margin:0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;"><u style="font-family:'Times New Roman','Times','serif';font-size:12pt;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-color:#000000;">Item 9A. Controls and Procedures</u></p><p style="font-family:'Calibri','Helvetica','sans-serif';font-size:11pt;line-height:1.19;text-align:justify;margin:0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;"><u style="font-family:'Times New Roman','Times','serif';font-size:12pt;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-color:#000000;">Management&#8217;s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting, page 127</u></p><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse:collapse;font-family:'Calibri','Helvetica','sans-serif';font-size:11pt;line-height:1.37;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-top:0pt;table-layout:fixed;text-align:justify;width:100%;border:0pt;"><tr><td style="width:18pt;"></td><td style="font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:12pt;vertical-align:text-top;white-space:nowrap;width:18pt;padding:0pt;">1.</td><td style="padding:0pt;"><font style="font-family:'Times New Roman','Times','serif';font-size:12pt;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;line-height:1.37;text-align:justify;">Please amend your filing to include a revised management&#8217;s report on internal control over financial reporting with a statement as to whether or not your internal control over financial reporting is effective. Refer to Item308(a) of Regulation S-K.</font></td></tr></table><p style="font-family:'Calibri','Helvetica','sans-serif';font-size:11pt;line-height:1.19;text-align:justify;margin:0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;"><font style="font-family:'Times New Roman','Times','serif';font-size:12pt;font-weight:bold;line-height:1.28;margin-bottom:8pt;visibility:hidden;">&#8203;</font></p><p style="font-family:'Calibri','Helvetica','sans-serif';font-size:11pt;line-height:1.19;text-align:justify;margin:0pt 0pt 6pt 0pt;"><font style="display:inline-block;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt;width:72pt;"><b style="font-family:'Times New Roman','Times','serif';font-size:12pt;font-style:normal;font-weight:bold;line-height:1.19;text-align:justify;">Response:</b></font></p><p style="font-family:'Calibri','Helvetica','sans-serif';font-size:11pt;line-height:1.19;text-align:justify;margin:2pt 0pt 9pt 0pt;"><b style="font-family:'Times New Roman','Times','serif';font-size:12pt;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-color:#000000;">Amended Item 9A Controls and Procedures. </b><u style="font-family:'Times New Roman','Times','serif';font-size:12pt;font-style:italic;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-color:#000000;">Management&#8217;s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting, page 127</u></p></div></div><hr style="background-color:#000000;clear:both;color:#000000;height:2pt;line-height:0;margin-bottom:30pt;margin-left:11.76%;margin-right:11.76%;margin-top:30pt;page-break-after:always;width:76.47%;border-width:0;"><div style="max-width:100%;padding-left:11.76%;padding-right:11.76%;position:relative;"><div style="margin-top:30pt;min-height:36pt;width:100%;"><p style="font-family:'Calibri','Helvetica','sans-serif';font-size:11pt;line-height:1.19;margin:0pt;"><font style="font-family:'Times New Roman','Times','serif';font-size:12pt;">Division of Corporation Finance</font></p><p style="font-family:'Calibri','Helvetica','sans-serif';font-size:11pt;line-height:1.19;margin:0pt;"><font style="font-family:'Times New Roman','Times','serif';font-size:12pt;">Office of Energy &amp; Transportation</font></p><p style="font-family:'Calibri','Helvetica','sans-serif';font-size:11pt;line-height:1.19;margin:0pt;"><font style="font-family:'Times New Roman','Times','serif';font-size:12pt;">United States Securities and Exchange Commission</font></p><p style="font-family:'Calibri','Helvetica','sans-serif';font-size:11pt;line-height:1.19;margin:0pt;"><font style="font-family:'Times New Roman','Times','serif';font-size:12pt;">March 29, 2022</font></p><p style="font-family:'Calibri','Helvetica','sans-serif';font-size:11pt;line-height:1.19;margin:0pt;"><font style="font-family:'Times New Roman','Times','serif';font-size:12pt;">Page </font><font style="font-family:'Times New Roman','Times','serif';font-size:12pt;">2</font></p><p style="font-family:'Calibri','Helvetica','sans-serif';font-size:11pt;line-height:1.19;margin:0pt;"><font style="font-size:12pt;visibility:hidden;">&#8203;</font></p></div><div style="clear:both;max-width:100%;position:relative;"><p style="font-family:'Calibri','Helvetica','sans-serif';font-size:11pt;line-height:1.19;text-align:justify;margin:0pt;"><b style="font-family:'Times New Roman','Times','serif';font-size:12pt;font-weight:bold;">The Company will include the following statement in </b><font style="font-family:'Times New Roman','Times','serif';font-size:12pt;font-style:italic;font-weight:bold;">Management&#8217;s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting</font><b style="font-family:'Times New Roman','Times','serif';font-size:12pt;font-weight:bold;"> within a Form 10-K/A for the year ended December 31, 2021:</b></p><p style="font-family:'Calibri','Helvetica','sans-serif';font-size:11pt;line-height:1.19;text-align:justify;margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 18pt;"><font style="font-family:'Times New Roman','Times','serif';font-size:12pt;font-style:italic;font-weight:bold;line-height:1.28;margin-bottom:8pt;margin-left:0pt;visibility:hidden;">&#8203;</font></p><p style="font-family:'Calibri','Helvetica','sans-serif';font-size:11pt;line-height:1.19;text-align:justify;margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 18pt;"><i style="font-family:'Times New Roman','Times','serif';font-size:12pt;font-style:italic;">&#8220;Management of the Company assessed the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2021 based on the 2013 framework in Internal Control&#8212;Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (the COSO criteria). Based on this assessment, management has concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2021.&#8221;</i></p><p style="font-family:'Calibri','Helvetica','sans-serif';font-size:11pt;line-height:1.19;text-align:justify;margin:0pt;"><font style="font-family:'Times New Roman','Times','serif';font-size:12pt;font-style:italic;line-height:1.28;margin-bottom:8pt;visibility:hidden;">&#8203;</font></p><p style="font-family:'Calibri','Helvetica','sans-serif';font-size:11pt;line-height:1.19;text-align:justify;margin:0pt;"><b style="font-family:'Times New Roman','Times','serif';font-size:12pt;font-weight:bold;">The Company intends to file the amendment to the Form 10-K on March 29, 2022.</b></p><p style="font-family:'Calibri','Helvetica','sans-serif';font-size:11pt;line-height:1.19;text-align:justify;margin:0pt;"><font style="font-family:'Times New Roman','Times','serif';font-weight:bold;line-height:1.28;margin-bottom:8pt;visibility:hidden;">&#8203;</font></p><p style="font-family:'Calibri','Helvetica','sans-serif';font-size:11pt;line-height:1.19;text-align:center;text-indent:18pt;margin:0pt 0pt 6pt 0pt;"><font style="font-family:'Times New Roman','Times','serif';font-size:12pt;white-space:pre-wrap;">*     *     *     *</font></p><p style="font-family:'Calibri','Helvetica','sans-serif';font-size:11pt;line-height:1.19;text-align:justify;margin:0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;"><font style="font-family:'Times New Roman','Times','serif';font-size:12pt;">The Company acknowledges that:</font></p><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse:collapse;font-family:'Calibri','Helvetica','sans-serif';font-size:11pt;line-height:1.19;margin-bottom:6pt;margin-top:0pt;table-layout:fixed;text-align:justify;width:100%;border:0pt;"><tr><td style="width:54pt;"></td><td style="font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:12pt;vertical-align:text-top;white-space:nowrap;width:18pt;padding:0pt;">&#9679;</td><td style="padding:0pt;"><font style="font-family:'Times New Roman','Times','serif';font-size:12pt;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;line-height:1.19;text-align:justify;">the Company is responsible for the adequacy and accuracy of the disclosure in the filing;</font></td></tr></table><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse:collapse;font-family:'Calibri','Helvetica','sans-serif';font-size:11pt;line-height:1.19;margin-bottom:6pt;margin-top:0pt;table-layout:fixed;text-align:justify;width:100%;border:0pt;"><tr><td style="width:54pt;"></td><td style="font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:12pt;vertical-align:text-top;white-space:nowrap;width:18pt;padding:0pt;">&#9679;</td><td style="padding:0pt;"><font style="font-family:'Times New Roman','Times','serif';font-size:12pt;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;line-height:1.19;text-align:justify;">Staff comments or changes to disclosure in response to Staff comments do not foreclose the Commission from taking any action with respect to the filing; and</font></td></tr></table><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse:collapse;font-family:'Calibri','Helvetica','sans-serif';font-size:11pt;line-height:1.19;margin-bottom:0pt;margin-top:0pt;table-layout:fixed;text-align:justify;width:100%;border:0pt;"><tr><td style="width:54pt;"></td><td style="font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:12pt;vertical-align:text-top;white-space:nowrap;width:18pt;padding:0pt;">&#9679;</td><td style="padding:0pt;"><font style="font-family:'Times New Roman','Times','serif';font-size:12pt;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;line-height:1.19;text-align:justify;">the Company may not assert Staff comments as a defense in any proceeding initiated by the Commission or any person under the federal securities laws of the United States.</font></td></tr></table><div style="margin-top:12pt;"></div><p style="font-family:'Calibri','Helvetica','sans-serif';font-size:11pt;line-height:1.19;text-align:justify;text-indent:36pt;margin:0pt 0pt 6pt 0pt;"><font style="font-family:'Times New Roman','Times','serif';font-size:12pt;">If you have any questions regarding our response, please contact the undersigned at (713)&#160;328-7438.</font></p><p style="font-family:'Calibri','Helvetica','sans-serif';font-size:11pt;line-height:1.19;text-align:justify;margin:0pt 0pt 12pt 216pt;"><font style="font-family:'Times New Roman','Times','serif';font-size:12pt;">Sincerely,</font></p><p style="font-family:'Calibri','Helvetica','sans-serif';font-size:11pt;line-height:1.19;text-align:justify;margin:0pt 0pt 6pt 216pt;"><i style="font-family:'Times New Roman','Times','serif';font-size:12pt;font-style:italic;">/s/ Leslie K. Nagy</i></p><p style="font-family:'Calibri','Helvetica','sans-serif';font-size:11pt;line-height:1.19;text-align:justify;margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 216pt;"><font style="font-family:'Times New Roman','Times','serif';font-size:12pt;">Mrs. Leslie K. Nagy</font></p><p style="font-family:'Calibri','Helvetica','sans-serif';font-size:11pt;line-height:1.19;text-align:justify;margin:0pt 0pt 6pt 216pt;"><i style="font-family:'Times New Roman','Times','serif';font-size:12pt;font-style:italic;">Vice President &amp; Chief Accounting Officer</i></p><p style="font-family:'Calibri','Helvetica','sans-serif';font-size:11pt;line-height:1.19;text-align:justify;margin:0pt;"><font style="display:inline-block;text-align:left;text-indent:0pt;width:36pt;"><font style="font-family:'Times New Roman','Times','serif';font-size:12pt;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;line-height:1.19;text-align:justify;">cc:</font></font><i style="font-family:'Times New Roman','Times','serif';font-size:12pt;font-style:italic;">Waste Management, Inc.:</i></p><p style="font-family:'Calibri','Helvetica','sans-serif';font-size:11pt;line-height:1.19;text-align:justify;text-indent:36pt;margin:0pt;"><font style="font-family:'Times New Roman','Times','serif';font-size:12pt;">Mr. William B. Plummer, Chairman &#8211; Audit Committee</font></p><p style="font-family:'Calibri','Helvetica','sans-serif';font-size:11pt;line-height:1.19;text-align:justify;text-indent:36pt;margin:0pt;"><font style="font-family:'Times New Roman','Times','serif';font-size:12pt;">Mr. Thomas H. Weidemeyer, Chairman of the Board</font></p><p style="font-family:'Calibri','Helvetica','sans-serif';font-size:11pt;line-height:1.19;text-align:justify;text-indent:36pt;margin:0pt;"><font style="font-family:'Times New Roman','Times','serif';font-size:12pt;">Mr. James C. Fish, Jr., President &amp; Chief Executive Officer</font></p><p style="font-family:'Calibri','Helvetica','sans-serif';font-size:11pt;line-height:1.19;text-align:justify;text-indent:36pt;margin:0pt;"><font style="font-family:'Times New Roman','Times','serif';font-size:12pt;">Ms. Devina A. Rankin, Executive Vice President &amp; Chief Financial Officer</font></p><p style="font-family:'Calibri','Helvetica','sans-serif';font-size:11pt;line-height:1.19;padding-left:7.2pt;text-align:justify;text-indent:-7.2pt;margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 36pt;"><font style="font-family:'Times New Roman','Times','serif';font-size:12pt;">Mr. Charles C. Boettcher, Executive Vice President, Corporate Development &amp; Chief Legal Officer </font></p></div></div><hr style="background-color:#000000;clear:both;color:#000000;height:2pt;line-height:0;margin-left:11.76%;margin-right:11.76%;margin-top:30pt;page-break-after:avoid;width:76.47%;border-width:0;"></body></html>
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</DOCUMENT>
</SEC-DOCUMENT>
