§ 40-0101. Legislative findings and declarations.

The legislature finds and declares that the lands, water and air of
New York state constitute an irreplaceable resource upon which is
founded the well-being of public health, economic vitality and the
state's environment. These resources may be contaminated by releases of
hazardous substances from active and abandoned storage facilities. Once
these resources are contaminated, they cannot be completely restored to
their original state and therefore, contamination of the resources must
be prevented through improved safeguards in storage, handling and
processing of hazardous substances.

The legislature finds and declares these releases to be a threat to
the public health and welfare and hereby exercises the power of the
state to prevent these releases from occurring through the establishment
of a state regulatory program governing existing, new and abandoned
facilities.