Mississippi § 49-31-5 - Legislative intent.

§ 49-31-5. Legislative intent.

It is the intent of the Legislature to promote pollution prevention, require state agency recycling programs, encourage the recycling industry and promote public education on waste management issues. The Legislature declares it to be the policy of the State of Mississippi that the generation of waste should be reduced or eliminated at the source, whenever feasible; waste that is generated should be recycled or reused whenever feasible; waste that cannot be reduced or recycled should be treated in an environmentally safe manner; and disposal or other permitted release into the environment should be employed only as a last resort and should be conducted in an environmentally safe manner. The state’s goal is to reduce the quantity of waste generated within Mississippi by a minimum of twenty-five percent (25%) by January 1, 1996. For purposes of measuring the reduction of hazardous waste, the department shall use as a baseline the quantity of hazardous waste generated, as reported for the 1989 calendar year. For purposes of measuring the reduction of nonhazardous solid waste, the department shall use as a baseline information submitted to the State Tax Commission pursuant to Section 17-17-219 for the 1992 calendar year. For other wastes, the department shall establish a baseline.