Legislative findings

(a) The West Virginia Legislature finds the public policy of the State of West Virginia is to protect and conserve the water resources for the state and its citizens. The state's water resources are vital natural resources that are essential to maintain, preserve and promote human health, quality of life and economic vitality of the state. (b) The West Virginia Legislature further finds the public policy of the state is for clean, uncontaminated water to be made available for its citizens who are dependent on clean water as a basic need for survival and who rely on the assurances from public water systems and the government that the water is safe to consume. (c) The West Virginia Legislature further finds the public policy of the state is that clean, uncontaminated water be available to its businesses and industries that rely on water for their economic pursuits and the well-being of their employees. These include the medical industry, educational institutions, the food and hospitality industries, the tourism industry, manufacturing, coal, natural gas and other industries. Businesses and industries searching for places to locate or relocate consider the quality of life for their employees as well as the quality of raw materials such as clean water. (d) The Legislature further finds that large quantities of fluids are stored in aboveground storage tanks within the state and that emergency situations involving these fluids can and will arise that may present a hazard to human health, safety, the water resources, the environment and the economy of the state. The Legislature further recognizes that some of these fluids have been stored in aboveground storage tanks in a manner insufficient to protect human health, safety, water resources, the environment and the economy of the state.