Sec. 1. 38 MRSA §2302, first ¶, as amended by PL 1991, c. 520, §10, is further amended to read:

It is the policy of the State to reduce the amount of the toxic substances used in the State, to reduce worker and environmental exposure to the release of toxic substances, to reduce the hazardous waste generated within the State and to minimize the transfer of toxic pollutants from one environmental medium to another. The State encourages an integrated approach to toxics use reduction, toxics release reduction and hazardous waste reduction based on the hierarchies of pollution prevention management strategies included in this section. It is further the policy of the State that the process of reducing the use and release of toxic substances and reducing the generation of hazardous waste through planning and analysis of manufacturing and commercial processes is ongoing and that the principles of continuous improvement in pollution prevention and open, public accountability must be applied to environmental quality management efforts in both public and private facilities.

Sec. 2. 38 MRSA §2302, sub-§2, as amended by PL 1991, c. 520, §10, is further amended to read:

2. Toxics release reduction. The State requires encourages reducing the release of toxics during manufacturing and other processes through, in addition to encouraging the toxics use reduction techniques specified in subsection 1, in-plant changes in production or other processes or operations that reduce or avoid exposure of workers and the environment to toxics.

Sec. 3. 38 MRSA §2302, sub-§3, as amended by PL 1993, c. 732, Pt. A, §12, is further amended to read:

3. Hazardous waste reduction. The State requires encourages reducing the generation of hazardous waste through, in addition to any toxics use and release reduction techniques employed by the facility, the application of the following techniques:

A. Recovery of toxics from production and other processes for reuse;

B. On-site recycling of hazardous waste;

C. Off-site recycling of hazardous waste; and

D. Treatment, other than incineration, of hazardous waste to reduce volume or toxicity or both.