POLICY: Toxic waste reduction. Prohibit new non-residential uses that are known to release or emit toxic waste at levels that are harmful to human health while continuing to allow medical, research and development, and other necessary uses and services such as dry cleaners.

POLICY: Legacy pollutant clean-up. Continue to work with state, federal, regional, and local agencies to eliminate and reduce concentrations of regulated legacy pollutants, which are health-harming pollutants that are the result of past land use activities (e.g., DDT, PCBs, lead, mercury) and are now banned. Support the clean-up and re-use of contaminated sites.

POLICY: Brownfield remediation. Require that contaminated sites, or brownfields, are adequately remediated before allowing new development or site redevelopment.

POLICY: Waste dumping prevention. Prioritize the prevention of illegal dumping and hazardous waste dumping to protect health, safety, environmental quality, and community aesthetics.

POLICY: Pesticide cleanup and prevention. Reduce exposure to legacy pesticides, particularly in areas previously utilized by agriculture, and whenever possible work with landowners and developers to eliminate concentrations of pesticides from soil and groundwater.

POLICY: Education on groundwater quality. Coordinate with appropriate agencies to develop an informational program on best management practices to protect groundwater quality on a regional basis.