Notwithstanding the provisions of § 56-265.15:1, any person, as defined in § 56-265.15, who knowingly and intentionally excavates after being notified by a representative of the Commission of a determination that such excavation constitutes an immediate threat to safety or property and such representative requests that excavation cease is guilty of a Class 6 felony. The representative of the Commission shall immediately notify the agency with primary law-enforcement authority over the area of excavation, as well as the fire marshal, (i) that such excavation site is a threat to safety or property and (ii) of the request to cease excavation.

Attorney's Note

Under the Virginia Code, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:
ClassPrisonFine
Class 6 felonyup to 5 yearsup to $2,500
For details, see Va. Code § 18.2-10

Terms Used In Virginia Code 56-265.24:1

  • Commission: means the State Corporation Commission. See Virginia Code 56-1
  • excavation: means any operation in which earth, rock, or other material in the ground is moved, removed, or otherwise displaced by means of any tools, equipment, or explosives and includes, without limitation, grading, trenching, digging, ditching, dredging, drilling, augering, tunneling, scraping, cable or pipe plowing and driving, wrecking, razing, rendering, moving, or removing any structure or mass of material. See Virginia Code 56-265.15
  • Person: means any individual, operator, firm, joint venture, partnership, corporation, association, municipality, or other political subdivision, governmental unit, department or agency, and includes any trustee, receiver, assignee, or personal representative thereof. See Virginia Code 56-265.15

2023, cc. 299, 300.