58:10-23.11a. Findings and declarations

2. The Legislature finds and declares: that New Jersey's lands and waters constitute a unique and delicately balanced resource; that the protection and preservation of these lands and waters promote the health, safety and welfare of the people of this State; that the tourist and recreation industry dependent on clean waters and beaches is vital to the economy of this State; that the State is the trustee, for the benefit of its citizens, of all natural resources within its jurisdiction; and that the storage and transfer of petroleum products and other hazardous substances between vessels, between facilities and vessels, and between facilities, whether onshore or offshore, is a hazardous undertaking and imposes risk of damage to persons and property within this State. The Legislature finds and declares that the discharge of petroleum products and other hazardous substances within or outside the jurisdiction of this State constitutes a threat to the economy and environment of this State. The Legislature intends by the passage of this act to exercise the powers of this State to control the transfer and storage of hazardous substances and to provide liability for damage sustained within this State as a result of any discharge of said substances, by requiring the prompt containment and removal of such pollution and substances, and to provide a fund for swift and adequate compensation to resort businesses and other persons damaged by such discharges, and to provide for the defense and indemnification of certain persons under contract with the State for claims or actions resulting from the provision of services or work to mitigate or clean up a release or discharge of hazardous substances.

The Legislature further finds and declares that many former industrial sites in the State remain vacant or underutilized in part because they have been contaminated by a discharge of a hazardous substance; that these properties constitute an economic drain on the State and the municipalities in which they exist; that it is in the public interest to have these properties cleaned up sufficiently so that they can be safely returned to productive use; and that it should be a function of the Department of Environmental Protection to facilitate and coordinate activities and functions designed to clean up contaminated sites in this State.

L.1976,c.141,s.2; amended 1986, c.59, s.1; 1991, c.373, s.12; 1997, c.278, s.27.