N.Y. Environmental Conservation Law § 22-1030

§ 22-1030. Legislative findings.\n The legislature hereby finds and declares that mining of uranium may\npose a significant danger to the public health, safety and welfare and\nthe environment in that:\n 1. such mining activities may pose a significant threat of\ncontamination and depletion of the state's drinking water supplies,\nincluding surface and subsurface waters;\n 2. mining activity poses the danger of release of airborne radioactive\nparticulates which may endanger the health of residents and the value of\nlivestock and dairy products;\n 3. no adequate method currently exists for storing wastes created as a\nresult of uranium mining;\n 4. in the event of abandonment of any such mine site caused by\nfinancial insolvency or other reasons, significant cleanup costs may be\nforced upon state or local governments and may harm their fiscal\nintegrity;\n 5. abatement of the hazards associated with uranium mining requires\ntechnology or administrative techniques not yet extant, proven reliable,\nor proven economically feasible;\n 6. the activities associated with uranium mining may detract from\nscenic qualities, and reduce property values, tourist revenues, and the\ngeneral quality of life in the affected area.\n The legislature therefore finds that particular caution is needed in\ndetermining public policy pertaining to the mining of uranium and that\nthe prohibition of this activity is necessary at this time to insure the\nprotection of the public health, safety and welfare.\n