§1-110. Powers of fiduciaries relating to compliance with environmental laws

1.  Fiduciary powers to comply with environmental law.  From the inception of the trust or estate, a fiduciary has the following powers, without court authorization, which the fiduciary may use in the fiduciary's sole discretion to comply with environmental law:

A. To inspect and monitor property held by the fiduciary, including interests in sole proprietorships, partnerships or corporations and any assets owned by any such business enterprise, for the purpose of determining compliance with environmental law affecting the property and to respond to any actual or threatened violation of any environmental law affecting the property held by the fiduciary;   [PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 2019, c. 417, Pt. B, §14 (AFF).]

B. To take, on behalf of the trust or estate, any action necessary to prevent, abate or otherwise remedy any actual or threatened violation of any environmental law affecting property held by the fiduciary, either before or after the initiation of an enforcement action by any governmental body;   [PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 2019, c. 417, Pt. B, §14 (AFF).]

C. To refuse to accept property if the fiduciary determines that any property to be donated to the trust or estate either is contaminated by any hazardous substance or is being used or has been used for any activity directly or indirectly involving any hazardous substance that could result in liability to the trust or estate or otherwise impair the value of the assets held in the trust or estate. This paragraph does not apply to property in the trust or estate at its inception;   [PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 2019, c. 417, Pt. B, §14 (AFF).]

D. To settle or compromise at any time any claims against the trust or estate that may be asserted by any governmental body or private party involving the alleged violation of any environmental law affecting property held in trust or in an estate;   [PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 2019, c. 417, Pt. B, §14 (AFF).]

E. To disclaim any power granted by any document, statute or rule of law that, in the sole discretion of the fiduciary, may cause the fiduciary to incur personal liability under any environmental law; and   [PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 2019, c. 417, Pt. B, §14 (AFF).]

F. To decline to serve or to resign as a fiduciary if the fiduciary reasonably believes that there is or may be a conflict of interest between the fiduciary's fiduciary capacity and the fiduciary's individual capacity because of potential claims or liabilities that may be asserted against the fiduciary on behalf of the trust or estate because of the type or condition of assets held in the trust or estate.   [PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 2019, c. 417, Pt. B, §14 (AFF).]

[PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 2019, c. 417, Pt. B, §14 (AFF).]

2.  Definitions.  For purposes of this section, "environmental law" means any federal, state or local law, rule, regulation or ordinance relating to protection of the environment or human health. For purposes of this section, "hazardous substance" has the meaning set forth in Title 38, section 1362, subsection 1.

[PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 2019, c. 417, Pt. B, §14 (AFF).]

3.  Costs assessed to trust or estate.  The fiduciary may charge the cost of any inspection, review, abatement, response, cleanup or remedial action authorized in this section against the income or principal of the trust or estate. A fiduciary is not personally liable to any beneficiary or other party for any decrease in value of assets in trust or in an estate by reason of the fiduciary's compliance with any environmental law, specifically including any reporting requirement under the law. Neither the acceptance by the fiduciary of property nor a failure by the fiduciary to inspect property creates an inference as to whether there is or may be any liability under any environmental law with respect to the property.

[PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 2019, c. 417, Pt. B, §14 (AFF).]

4.  Compliance with environmental law not a conflict of interest.  The exercise by a fiduciary of any of the powers granted in this section does not constitute a transaction that is affected by a substantial conflict of interest on the part of the fiduciary.

[PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 2019, c. 417, Pt. B, §14 (AFF).]

5.  Application and effective date.  This section applies to all trusts and estates in existence on and created after September 1, 2019.

[PL 2019, c. 417, Pt. B, §1 (AMD).]

SECTION HISTORY

PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. A, §2 (NEW). PL 2017, c. 402, Pt. F, §1 (AFF). PL 2019, c. 417, Pt. B, §1 (AMD). PL 2019, c. 417, Pt. B, §14 (AFF).