The U.S. Department of Justice has approved the merger between Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based Republic Services and Phoenix-based Allied Waste. The merger now awaits final approved from a federal court judge.

As part of the deal, both companies must divest commercial waste collection and disposal assets serving 15 metropolitan areas, including 87 commercial collection routes, nine landfills and 10 transfer stations.

“Without the divestitures required by the department, consumers in 15 areas throughout the United States would have been harmed by a reduction in competition for commercial solid waste collection and disposal,” said Deborah Garza, acting assistant attorney general in charge of the department’s Antitrust Division, in a press release. “This remedy ensures that the benefits of competition–namely, lower prices and better service–will be preserved in these areas.”

Will Flower, vice president of communications for Republic, says there were no surprises within the department’s required divestitures, and the deal is expected to be approved by a federal judge in the coming days.