Rhode Island General Laws Title 42. State Affairs and Government § 42-17.8-1. Purpose

(a) The Rhode Island general assembly hereby finds that voluntary, public compliance with environmental laws, rules and regulations is a principal component in effectively protecting the environment of the state; and that voluntary compliance is most effectively achieved through the implementation of regular, systematic and objective self-evaluative activities such as environmental audits and/or the implementation of an environmental management system designed to monitor and assure continuing compliance with all applicable laws, rules and regulations.

(b) In order to encourage persons who conduct regulated activities to perform voluntary self-evaluations of their compliance programs and management systems, and to thereby improve compliance with environmental statutes and/or regulations, the Rhode Island general assembly finds that it is in the public interest to encourage such activities by promoting confidentiality of communications relating to the voluntary self-evaluations to those who properly and timely report the findings of the self-evaluations to the regulatory authority or authorities responsible for protecting the environment of the state.