Health & Saf. Code, § 25395.60

The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(a) There are thousands of properties in the state where redevelopment has been hindered due to real or perceived hazardous materials contamination. Cleaning up these sites and returning them to productive use will benefit the communities in which they are located and the state as a whole.

(b) Contamination of property in the state has hampered redevelopment, which in turn has limited job creation, economic revitalization, and the full and productive use of the land.

(c) Private developers, local governments, and schools are reluctant to acquire or redevelop these properties due, at least in part, to concerns regarding liability associated with historic contamination. Instead, they focus new development on clean areas that present fewer complications and lower risk of liability.

(d) This has resulted in a multitude of problems, including urban sprawl, decaying inner-city neighborhoods and schools, public health and environmental risks stemming from contaminated properties, lack of development at former manufacturing sites and rural areas in need of economic investment, and reduced tax bases.