§ 5-204. Duties of Secretary

   The Secretary, by suitable administrative procedures including public hearings, if appropriate, shall:

   (1) Adopt rules and regulations governing the storage, sale, distribution, exchange, use, and disposal of any pesticide and its container;

   (2) Prescribe, when necessary, the time and conditions under which a pesticide may be sold, distributed, exchanged, or used in different areas of the State;

   (3) Provide, if necessary, that extremely hazardous pesticides may be sold, distributed, exchanged, or applied only when special permission first is obtained from the Secretary;

   (4) Define the formulations and establish the conditions and appropriate areas for application of any pesticide;

   (5) Establish guidelines and requirements for the application of pesticides and providing for submission of records to the Secretary;

   (6) Design and conduct an appropriate educational program on the use of pesticides and the necessity for care when applying them;

   (7) Encourage, conduct and support research which will contribute to optimal uses of pesticides for maximum public benefit and minimum public damage;

   (8) Require that records be kept by all licensees and permittees;

   (9) Employ inspectors and other employees necessary for the proper enforcement of the provisions of this subtitle and the rules and regulations adopted pursuant to it;

   (10) Coordinate and support pesticide monitoring programs;

   (11) Establish appropriate categories and, if necessary, subcategories of applicators of pesticides;

   (12) Establish guidelines and requirements for all licensees, certificate holders, and permittees for the identification of pests and their methods of inspection of property to determine the presence of pests;

   (13) For purposes of uniformity and in order to enter into cooperative agreements, adopt use classifications and other pertinent pesticide regulation provisions that are established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; and

   (14) Cooperate with State or federal agencies as is reasonable and proper to carry out the provisions of this subtitle.

HISTORY: An. Code 1957, art. 66C, § 110A-3; 1973, 1st Sp. Sess., ch. 6, § 1; 1975, ch. 314, § 2; 1976, ch. 647; 1982, ch. 331; 1987, chs. 301, 302.