Section 5-204 - Duties of SecretaryThe 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.