Declaration of policy and findings of fact

§ 27-1403. Declaration of policy and findings of fact.\n The legislature hereby finds that there are thousands of abandoned and\nlikely contaminated properties that threaten the health and vitality of\nthe communities they burden, and that these sites, known as brownfields,\nare also contributing to sprawl development and loss of open space. It\nis therefore declared that, to advance the policy of the state of New\nYork to conserve, improve, and protect its natural resources and\nenvironment and control water, land, and air pollution in order to\nenhance the health, safety, and welfare of the people of the state and\ntheir overall economic and social well being, it is appropriate to adopt\nthis act to encourage persons to voluntarily remediate brownfield sites\nfor reuse and redevelopment by establishing within the department a\nstatutory program to encourage cleanup and redevelopment of brownfield\nsites. All remedies shall be fully protective of public health and the\nenvironment including, but not limited to, groundwater according to its\nclassification pursuant to section 17-0301 of this chapter. A remedial\nprogram that achieves a permanent cleanup of a contaminated site,\nincluding the restoration of groundwater to its classified use, is to be\npreferred over a remedial program that does not do so. It is the intent\nof the legislature that the provisions of this brownfield cleanup\nprogram shall not be construed as limiting or otherwise affecting any\nauthority conferred upon the department by any other provision of law.\n