Section 27-1403. Declaration of policy and findings of fact

The legislature hereby finds that there are thousands of abandoned and
  likely  contaminated properties that threaten the health and vitality of
  the communities they burden, and that these sites, known as brownfields,
  are also contributing to sprawl development and loss of open  space.  It
  is  therefore  declared  that, to advance the policy of the state of New
  York to  conserve,  improve,  and  protect  its  natural  resources  and
  environment  and  control  water,  land,  and  air pollution in order to
  enhance the health, safety, and welfare of the people of the  state  and
  their overall economic and social well being, it is appropriate to adopt
  this  act to encourage persons to voluntarily remediate brownfield sites
  for reuse and redevelopment by  establishing  within  the  department  a
  statutory  program  to encourage cleanup and redevelopment of brownfield
  sites. All remedies shall be fully protective of public health  and  the
  environment  including, but not limited to, groundwater according to its
  classification pursuant to section 17-0301 of this chapter.  A  remedial
  program  that  achieves  a  permanent  cleanup  of  a contaminated site,
  including the restoration of groundwater to its classified use, is to be
  preferred over a remedial program that does not do so. It is the  intent
  of  the  legislature  that  the  provisions  of  this brownfield cleanup
  program shall not be construed as limiting or  otherwise  affecting  any
  authority conferred upon the department by any other provision of law.