46-704.

Management area; legislative findings.

The Legislature also finds that:

(1) The levels of nitrate nitrogen and other contaminants in ground water in certain areas of the state are increasing;

(2) Long-term solutions should be implemented and efforts should be made to prevent the levels of ground water contaminants from becoming too high and to reduce high levels sufficiently to eliminate health hazards;

(3) Agriculture has been very productive and should continue to be an important industry to the State of Nebraska;

(4) Natural resources districts have the legal authority to regulate certain activities and, as local entities, are the preferred regulators of activities which may contribute to ground water contamination in both urban and rural areas;

(5) The Department of Environment and Energy should be given authority to regulate sources of contamination when necessary to prevent serious deterioration of ground water quality;

(6) The powers given to districts and the Department of Environment and Energy should be used to stabilize, reduce, and prevent the increase or spread of ground water contamination; and

(7) There is a need to provide for the orderly management of ground water quality in areas where available data, evidence, and other information indicate that present or potential ground water conditions require the designation of such areas as management areas.