The general assembly finds and declares all of the following:
 1. Some real property in Iowa is not put to its highest productive use because it is contaminated or it is perceived to be contaminated as a result of past activity on the property. The reuse of these sites is an important component of a sound land-use policy that will prevent the needless development of prime farmland and open-space and natural areas, and reduce public expenditures for installing new infrastructure.

Terms Used In Iowa Code 455H.104

  • following: when used by way of reference to a chapter or other part of a statute mean the next preceding or next following chapter or other part. See Iowa Code 4.1
  • property: includes personal and real property. See Iowa Code 4.1
  • Release: means any spilling, leaking, pumping, pouring, emitting, emptying, discharging, injecting, escaping, leaching, dumping, or disposing into the environment of a hazardous substance, including the abandonment or discarding of barrels, containers, and other closed receptacles containing any hazardous substance, but excludes all of the following:
  • 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 said district and territories. See Iowa Code 4.1
  • Use: means to operate, navigate, or employ a vessel. See Iowa Code 462A.2
 2. Incentives should be put in place to encourage capable persons to voluntarily develop and implement cleanup plans.
 3. The safe reuse of property should be encouraged through the adoption of environmental remediation standards developed through an open process which take into account the risks associated with any release at the site. Any remediation standards adopted by this state must provide for the protection of the public health and safety and the environment.