34A-2-104. Legislative findings--Declaration of public policy.

The Legislature finds that groundwater is a resource of immeasurable value to public health and welfare, critical for the provision of water supply needs for domestic, agricultural, industrial, mining, recreational and other beneficial uses of water, and that pollution of groundwater of this state from both point and nonpoint sources constitutes a menace to public health, welfare and the environment, and that there has been an increasing awareness on the part of the public, local governments and the state that groundwater must be protected, that once groundwater is polluted, it is extremely difficult and expensive to clean up, that both strong enforcement and public education are important and necessary components of the state strategy for minimizing and reducing potential pollution sources, and that effective preventive measures and swift response to releases of pollutants minimize groundwater pollution. It is hereby declared to be the public policy of this state to conserve the groundwaters of the state and to protect, maintain and improve the quality thereof for present and future beneficial uses through the prevention of pollution, correction of groundwater pollution problems and close control of limited degradation perimeters permitted for necessary economic or social development.

Source: SL 1989, ch 306, § 40.