75-10-706. Purpose -- intent. (1) The purposes of this part are to:
     (a) protect the public health and welfare of all Montana citizens against the dangers arising from releases of hazardous or deleterious substances;
     (b) encourage private parties to clean up sites within the state at which releases of hazardous or deleterious substances have occurred, resulting in adverse impacts on the health and welfare of the citizens of the state and on the state's natural, environmental, and biological systems; and
     (c) provide for funding to study, plan, and undertake the rehabilitation, removal, and cleanup of sites within the state at which no voluntary action has been taken.
     (2) The legislature, mindful of its constitutional obligations under Article II, section 3, and Article IX of the Montana constitution, has enacted the Comprehensive Environmental Cleanup and Responsibility Act. It is the legislature's intent that the requirements of this part provide adequate remedies for the protection of the environmental life support system from degradation and provide adequate remedies to prevent unreasonable depletion and degradation of natural resources.
     (3) A person who is not subject to an administrative or judicial order may not conduct any remedial action at any facility that is subject to an administrative or judicial order issued pursuant to this part without the written permission of the department. Remedial action performed in accordance with this part is intended to provide for the protection of the environmental life support system from degradation and to prevent unreasonable depletion and degradation of natural resources.

     History: En. Sec. 2, Ch. 709, L. 1989; amd. Sec. 16, Ch. 361, L. 2003.