The Legislature finds that the generation and management of hazardous waste is a continuing problem. Further, that without adequate safeguards, the generation, transportation, treatment, storage and disposal of such wastes can create conditions which threaten human health or the environment. The Legislature, therefore, declares that in order to minimize and control any such hazardous conditions, it is in the public interest to establish and to maintain a statewide program, administered by the Alabama Department of Environmental Management, to provide for the safe management of hazardous wastes.

It is the intent of the Legislature that the Alabama Department of Environmental Management seek and retain authorization to operate the State Hazardous Waste Management Program. It is also the intent of the Legislature that the rules, regulations, guidelines and criteria promulgated under authority of this chapter encourage the minimization of hazardous waste generation, transportation and land disposal and that if necessary, to achieve consistency with the Federal Hazardous Waste Management Program, the rules, regulations, guidelines and criteria promulgated under authority of this chapter may ban or limit certain hazardous waste management technologies or the application of certain hazardous waste management technologies to specified wastes.