Section 3. - Declaration of state policy.

In order to enhance the beauty and quality of our environment, conserve and recycle our natural resources, prevent the spread of disease and creation of nuisance, protect the public health, safety, and welfare, and provide a coordinated statewide resource recovery and management program, the legislature finds that: (1) Inefficient and improper methods of managing solid waste create hazards to public health, cause pollution of air and water resources, constitute a waste of natural resources, have an adverse effect on land values, and create public nuisance. (2) Problems of solid waste management have become a matter statewide in scope and necessitate state action to assist local governments in improving methods and processes to promote more efficient methods of solid waste collection and disposal. (3) The continuing technological progress and improvements in methods of manufacture, packaging, and marketing of consumer products has resulted in an accelerated increase in the mass of material discarded by the purchasers of such products, thereby necessitating a statewide approach which will avoid varied and uncoordinated solutions by local governments around the state. (4) The economic and population growth of this state and the improvements in the standard of living enjoyed by its population have required increased industrial production together with related commercial and agricultural operations to meet its needs, which have resulted in a rising tide of unwanted and discarded materials. (5) The failure or inability to recover economically material and energy resources from solid waste results in the unnecessary waste and depletion of our natural resources, and, therefore, maximum resource recovery from solid waste and maximum recycling and reuse of such resources are considered goals of the state. (6) A goal of the state's policy with respect to solid waste is expressed in s. 13(b) of the state comprehensive plan, chapter 85-57, Laws of Florida, and is hereby adopted as follows: (a) By 1995, reduce the volume of nonhazardous solid waste disposed of in landfills to 55 percent of the 1985 volume. (7) The powers and purposes enumerated in this act constitute proper powers and purposes of the city in fulfilling uniform state policy in providing for the benefit, health, and welfare of the inhabitants of the city and of the state in the safe, beneficial, economical, and lawful management and disposal of solid waste. It is hereby found and declared that the city will be performing essential and proper governmental functions and fulfilling uniform state policy in providing for the financing, acquisition, construction, improvement, operation, or maintenance of or franchising the financing, acquisition, construction, improvement, operation, maintenance, or ownership to any person of solid waste disposal and resource recovery facilities within the area affected by this act and in the further securing of the bonds and in the elimination of competition among solid waste disposal and resource recovery facilities within the area affected by this act. It is further found and declared that the financing, acquisition, construction, improvement, operation, or maintenance of or franchising the financing, acquisition, construction, improvement, operation, maintenance, or ownership of solid waste disposal and resource recovery facilities within the area affected by this act is essential for the benefit, health, and welfare of the residents of the city and this state.