§ 234-38. Declaration of state policy.

In order to enhance the beauty and quality of our environment, conserve and recycle our natural resources, prevent the spread of disease and the creation of nuisance, protect the public health, safety, and welfare, and provide a coordinated statewide resource recovery and management program, the legislature finds that:

(1)

Inefficient and improper methods of managing solid waste create hazards to public health, cause pollution of air and water resources, constitute a waste of natural resources, have an adverse effect on land values, and create public nuisance.

(2)

Problems of solid waste management have become a matter statewide in scope and necessitate state action to assist local governments in improving methods and processes to promote more efficient methods of solid waste collection and disposal.

(3)

Continuing technological progress and improvements in methods of manufacture, packaging, and marketing of consumer products have resulted in an accelerated increase in the mass of material discarded by the purchasers of such products, thereby necessitating a statewide approach which will avoid varied and uncoordinated solutions by local governments around the state.

(4)

The economic and population growth of this state and the improvements in the standard of living enjoyed by its population have required increased industrial production together with related commercial and agricultural operations to meet its needs, which have resulted in a rising tide of unwanted and discarded material.

(5)

The failure or inability to recover economically material and energy resources from solid waste results in the unnecessary waste and depletion of our natural resources, and therefore maximum resource recovery from solid waste and maximum recycling and reuse of such resources are considered goals of the state.

(6)

Two goals of the state's policy with respect to hazardous and nonhazardous material and waste are expressed in F.S. § 187.201(13)(b), and are hereby adopted herein by the following statements:

a.

By 1995, reduce the volume of nonhazardous solid waste disposed of in landfills to 55 percent of the 1985 volume.

b.

Encourage and expedite the development of environmentally safe hazardous waste treatment, storage, and disposal facilities.

(7)

The powers and purposes enumerated in this act [article] constitute proper powers and purposes of the county in fulfilling uniform state policy in providing for the benefit, health, and welfare of the inhabitants of the county and of the state in the safe, beneficial, economical, and lawful management and disposal of solid waste. It is hereby found and declared that the county will be performing essential and proper governmental functions and fulfilling uniform state policy in providing for the franchising to any person of, the financing, refinancing, acquisition, construction, improvement, operation, or maintenance of the solid waste disposal and resource recovery system within the area affected by this act [article], and in providing for the issuance and securing of indebtedness under this act [article] and in the elimination of competition among solid waste disposal and resource recovery facilities within the area affected by this act [article]. It is further found and declared that the financing, refinancing, acquisition, construction, improvement, operation, or maintenance of the solid waste disposal and resource recovery system within the area affected by this act [article] and/or the franchising of any such function to any person are essential for the benefit, health, and welfare of the residents of the county and this state.

(Laws of Fla. ch. 87-441, § 3)