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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>72580</law_id><section_number>3.2-404</section_number><catch_line>Right of entry; court enforcement</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>3.2-406</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="3.2">Agriculture, Animal Care, and Food</unit><unit label="subtitle" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="I">General Provisions; Protection and Promotion of Agriculture</unit><unit label="chapter" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="4">Agricultural Stewardship</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> The <span class="dictionary">district</span> or the <span class="dictionary">Commissioner</span> may enter land that is the subject of a <span class="dictionary">complaint</span>, after notice to the <span class="dictionary">owner</span> or <span class="dictionary">operator</span>, to determine whether the <span class="dictionary">agricultural activity</span> is causing or will cause <span class="dictionary">pollution</span> of <span class="dictionary">state waters</span>. <a id="paragraph-261329" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/3.2-404/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> Upon failure of any <span class="dictionary">owner</span> or <span class="dictionary">operator</span> to allow the <span class="dictionary">Commissioner</span> entry in accordance with subsection A, to implement <span class="dictionary">stewardship measures</span> in the time specified in a corrective order, or to maintain <span class="dictionary">stewardship measures</span> in accordance with subsection E of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Complaint; investigation; agricultural stewardship plan" href="/3.2-402/">3.2-402</a>, the <span class="dictionary">Commissioner</span> may present to the <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> court of the county or city where the land is located, a <span class="dictionary">petition</span> asking the court to require the <span class="dictionary">owner</span> or <span class="dictionary">operator</span> to allow the <span class="dictionary">Commissioner</span> entry or to carry out such measures within a specified time. If the <span class="dictionary">owner</span> or <span class="dictionary">operator</span> fails to implement the <span class="dictionary">stewardship measures</span> specified in the <span class="dictionary">court order</span>, the <span class="dictionary">Commissioner</span> may enter the land involved and implement the measures. The <span class="dictionary">Commissioner</span> may recover the costs of implementing the <span class="dictionary">stewardship measures</span> from the <span class="dictionary">owner</span> or <span class="dictionary">operator</span>. <a id="paragraph-261330" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/3.2-404/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>1996, c. 773, &#xA7; 10.1-559.5; 2000, c. 973; 2008, c. 860.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
