The Legislature finds and declares that the incidence of hazardous waste discharges into the environment is increasing at an alarming rate; that public concern over the potential adverse health effects of exposure to such waste is growing; that estimation of risk to a community of exposure to toxic chemicals and the determination of any health consequences that may result from the exposure require sophisticated and costly biomedical and epidemiological investigation; that there is currently no Federal, State, or local program that provides the medical or financial assistance required to protect potential victims; and that a State program to conduct diagnostic examination of victims of exposure, evaluate the potential adverse health effects on affected communities of the exposure, and plan to reduce the risk of environmental contamination in areas with high potential for hazardous discharges is therefore necessary and appropriate.

L.1981, c. 456, s. 1, eff. Jan. 11, 1982.