The legislature hereby finds and declares:
(1)  That it is the policy of the state of Idaho to provide for the protection of the public health, welfare, safety, and environment; and to foster the remediation, transfer, reuse, or redevelopment of sites or groups of sites based on the risk to human health and the environment where releases or threatened release of hazardous substances or petroleum exists. The minimization of risk to public health and the environment on a commercial and industrial site offers significant potential economic benefit to local communities and is vital to their use and reuse as sources of employment, housing, recreation and open-space areas.

Terms Used In Idaho Code 39-7202

  • Hazardous substance: has the meaning set forth in section 101(14) of the comprehensive environmental, response, compensation and liability act (CERCLA), 42 U. See Idaho Code 39-7203
  • Petroleum: includes petroleum asphalt and crude oil or any part of petroleum asphalt or crude oil that is liquid at standard conditions of temperature and pressure (sixty (60) degrees Fahrenheit and fourteen and seven-tenths (14. See Idaho Code 39-7203
  • Property: includes both real and personal property. See Idaho Code 73-114
  • Release: means any spilling, leaking, pumping, pouring, emitting, emptying, discharging, injecting, escaping, leaching, dumping, or disposing into the environment, including the abandonment or discarding of barrels, containers, or other closed receptacles containing any hazardous substance or petroleum. See Idaho Code 39-7203
  • Remediation: means any of the following:
Idaho Code 39-7203
  • Site: means a parcel of real estate for which an application has been submitted under section 39-7204, Idaho Code. See Idaho Code 39-7203
  • State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories; and the words "United States" may include the District of Columbia and territories. See Idaho Code 73-114
    • (2)  That establishing a voluntary program for the remediation of hazardous substance or petroleum contaminated sites will encourage innovation and cooperation between the state, local communities, and interested persons and will promote the economic revitalization of property. It is intended that this program will provide for an expedited remediation process by eliminating the need for many adversarial enforcement actions and delays in remediation plan approvals.
    (3)  That providing financial assistance to eligible property owners who conduct voluntary cleanups will promote the economic revitalization of property, particularly in rural communities, and will reduce or eliminate the need for many adversarial enforcement actions and delays in remediation plan approvals.