(a)  The Legislature hereby finds and declares all of the following:

(1)  There is uncertainty in the law of this state with regard to the liability of lenders for hazardous material contamination involving property that is owned or used by borrowers, whether or not the property is collateral for the loan or obligation.

(2)  There is also uncertainty in the law of this state with regard to the liability of trustees, executors, and other fiduciaries for hazardous material contamination involving property that is part of the fiduciary estate. Fiduciaries understand that the fiduciary estate may have that liability, but are concerned that a fiduciary may have independent personal liability, despite the absence of personal culpability for the contamination.

(3)  The uncertainty as to liability or potential liability is attributable to the failure of existing law, except for the security interest exemption incorporated by reference in Section 25323.5, to recognize that usually the credit or fiduciary relationship is not sufficiently related to the hazardous material contamination to warrant, as a policy matter, the imposition of liability on lenders and fiduciaries.

(b)  It is the intent of the Legislature, in enacting this chapter, to specify the type of lender and fiduciary conduct that will not incur liability for hazardous material contamination. However, the liability exemption has appropriate boundaries. For example, the exemption will not protect lenders or fiduciaries in transactions that are structured for the purpose of evading liability for hazardous material contamination if the lender or fiduciary is not acting within its respective capacity, or if the contamination is caused by the lender or fiduciary.

(c)  This chapter does not apply to judicial actions filed, or administrative orders issued, before January l, 1997, or to proceedings to enforce judicial or administrative orders issued before January 1, 1997.

(Added by Stats. 1996, Ch. 612, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 1997.)