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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>375916</law_id><section_number>64.2-1422</section_number><catch_line>Environmental liability of fiduciaries</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2026/" slug="2026" current="TRUE" last_updated="2026-08-02">2026</edition><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="136" identifier="64.2">Wills, Trusts, and Fiduciaries</unit><unit label="subtitle" level="2" order_by="4" identifier="IV">Fiduciaries and Guardians</unit><unit label="part" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="A">Fiduciaries</unit><unit label="chapter" level="4" order_by="3" identifier="14">Fiduciaries Generally</unit><unit label="article" level="5" order_by="1" identifier="1">Appointment, Qualification, Resignation, and Removal of Fiduciaries</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> As used in this section:
			&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Environmental law</span>&#x201D; means any federal, state, or local law, rule, regulation, or <span class="dictionary">ordinance</span> relating to protection of the environment or human health.<br/><br/>			&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Fiduciary</span>&#x201D; includes guardians, committees, conservators, <span class="dictionary">trustees</span>, executors, administrators and administrators with the <span class="dictionary">will</span> annexed, curators of decedents&#x2019; <span class="dictionary">wills</span>, and attorneys-in-<span class="dictionary">fact</span> or agents acting for principals under written powers of attorney, and any combination of individuals, corporations, and other entities serving in those capacities.<br/><br/>			&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Individual capacity</span>&#x201D; means the nonfiduciary capacity of any individual, corporation, or other entity serving as a <span class="dictionary">fiduciary</span>. <a id="paragraph-1403508" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/64.2-1422/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> As to any property held in trust or in an estate, a <span class="dictionary">fiduciary</span> shall not be considered in its <span class="dictionary">individual capacity</span> to be (i) the owner or operator of that property as defined under any applicable <span class="dictionary">environmental law</span> or (ii) a <span class="dictionary">party</span> otherwise liable under any <span class="dictionary">environmental law</span> unless the <span class="dictionary">fiduciary</span>&#x2019;s acts or omissions outside the scope of its <span class="dictionary">fiduciary</span> duties constitute conduct that independently would give rise to individual liability. <a id="paragraph-1403509" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/64.2-1422/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C"><p><span class="prefix-number">C.</span> A <span class="dictionary">fiduciary</span> shall not be liable in its <span class="dictionary">individual capacity</span> to any beneficiary or other <span class="dictionary">party</span> for any decrease in <span class="dictionary">value</span> of <span class="dictionary">assets</span> in trust or in an estate by reason of the <span class="dictionary">fiduciary</span>&#x2019;s investigation or evaluation of potential contamination of property held in the trust or estate or the <span class="dictionary">fiduciary</span>&#x2019;s compliance with any <span class="dictionary">environmental law</span>, specifically including any reporting or disclosure requirement under such law. <a id="paragraph-1403510" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/64.2-1422/#C"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="D"><p><span class="prefix-number">D.</span> Neither a <span class="dictionary">fiduciary</span>&#x2019;s acceptance of property nor its failure to inspect property shall be deemed to create any implication as to whether or not there is or may be any liability under any <span class="dictionary">environmental law</span> with respect to such property. <a id="paragraph-1403511" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/64.2-1422/#D"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="E"><p><span class="prefix-number">E.</span> Nothing in this section shall affect or modify any defense to individual liability under any <span class="dictionary">environmental law</span> available to any <span class="dictionary">fiduciary</span> under any other provision of state or federal law, including the <span class="dictionary">common law</span>. <a id="paragraph-1403512" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/64.2-1422/#E"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>1994, c. 476, &#xA7; 26-7.4; 1997, c. 801; 2012, c. 614.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
