The Legislature finds that:

(1) The state is increasingly becoming the nation's final burial ground for the disposal of hazardous wastes and materials;

(2) The volumes of hazardous wastes and substances disposed in the state have increased dramatically for the past several years;

(3) The existence of hazardous waste disposal activities in the state poses unique and continuing problems for the state;

(4) As the site for the ultimate burial of hazardous wastes and substances, the state incurs a permanent risk to the health of its people and the maintenance of its natural resources that is avoided by other states which ship their wastes to Alabama for disposal;

(5) The state also incurs other substantial costs related to hazardous waste management including the costs of regulation of transportation, spill cleanup and disposal of ever-increasing volumes of hazardous wastes and substances;

(6) Because all waste and substances disposed at commercial sites for the disposal of hazardous waste and hazardous substances, whether or not such waste and substances are herein defined as hazardous, contribute to the continuing problems created for the state, and because state and federal definitions of "hazardous wastes" have regularly changed and are likely to change in the future to include waste not previously defined as hazardous, it is necessary that all waste and substances disposed of at a commercial site for the disposal of hazardous waste or hazardous substances be included within the requirements of this act;

(7) The Legislature finds that the public policy of the state is to encourage business and industry to develop technology that will eliminate the generation of hazardous waste and substances. The Legislature finds that substantial progress has been made in the implementation of hazardous waste disposal programs in the secondary lead recovery industry and that such technology will be generally available by October 1, 1992. Therefore, the intent of the Legislature is that fees assessed herein against the operators of commercial sites for the disposal of hazardous waste or hazardous substances not be applied until after October 1, 1992, to waste disposed of at such sites by secondary lead smelters to the extent that said fee exceeds the fees in effect on April 17, 1990.

(8) Since hazardous wastes and substances generated in the state compose a small proportion of those materials disposed of at commercial disposal sites located in the state, present circumstances result in the state's citizens paying a disproportionate share of the costs of regulation of hazardous waste transportation, spill cleanup and commercial disposal facilities. Persons, firms or corporations which generate and dispose of such waste and substances in Alabama presently are among the taxpaying citizens of this state who must bear the burden of the regulation, inspection, control and clean-up of hazardous waste sites; addressing the public health problems created by the presence of such facilities in the state; and, preserving this state's environment while those generating this waste in other states and shipping it to Alabama for disposal presently are not. This act attempts to resolve that inequity by requiring all generators of waste being disposed of in Alabama to share in that financial burden.

(9) The operators of commercial sites for the disposal of hazardous wastes or hazardous substances have the ability to control the flow of said wastes or substances into said sites. Further, said operators, by exercise of said ability to control the flow of wastes or substances disposed at sites during a twelve-month period, only to enlarge the amount of wastes disposed during the next twelve-month period by a proportionate amount. The health of the population of this state and the soundness of the environment of this state are and would be threatened by such an exercise of control. Said exercise of control could cause an artificial decrease in fees during the twelve-month period beginning July 15, 1990, and ending July 14, 1991. To prevent threats to the health of the population of this state and to the soundness of the environment of this state and to prevent an artificial decrease in fees during the twelve-month period beginning July 15, 1990, and ending July 14, 1991, this act provides a cap on the amount of hazardous waste and hazardous substances disposed during the twelve-month period beginning October 1, 1991, said cap being a function of the amount of hazardous waste and hazardous substances disposed during the twelve-month period beginning July 15, 1990, and ending July 14, 1991.