(A) No person shall distribute a pesticide within this state unless the pesticide is registered with the director of agriculture under this chapter. Registrations shall be issued for a period of time established by rule and shall be renewed in accordance with deadlines established by rule. Registration is not required if a pesticide is shipped from one plant or warehouse to another plant or warehouse operated by the same person and used solely at that plant or warehouse as a constituent part to make a pesticide that is registered under this chapter, or if the pesticide is distributed under the provisions of an experimental use permit issued under section 921.03 of the Revised Code or an experimental use permit issued by the United States environmental protection agency.

(B) The applicant for registration of a pesticide shall file a statement with the director on a form provided by the director, which shall include all of the following:

(1) The name and address of the applicant and the name and address of the person whose name will appear on the label, if other than the applicant's name;

(2) The brand and product name of the pesticide;

(3) Any necessary information required for completion of the department of agriculture's application for registration, including the agency registration number;

(4) A complete copy of the labeling accompanying the pesticide and a statement of all claims to be made for it, including the directions for use and the use classification as provided for in the federal act.

(C) The director, when the director considers it necessary in the administration of this chapter, may require the submission of the complete formula of any pesticide including the active and inert ingredients.

(D) The director may require a full description of the tests made and the results thereof upon which the claims are based for any pesticide. The director shall not consider any data submitted in support of an application, without permission of the applicant, in support of any other application for registration unless the other applicant first has offered to pay reasonable compensation for producing the test data to be relied upon and the data are not protected from disclosure by section 921.04 of the Revised Code. In the case of a renewal of registration, a statement shall be required only with respect to information that is different from that furnished when the pesticide was registered or last registered.

(E) The director may require any other information to be submitted with an application.

Any applicant may designate any portion of the required registration information as a trade secret or confidential business information. Upon receipt of any required registration information designated as a trade secret or confidential business information, the director shall consider the designated information as confidential and shall not reveal or cause to be revealed any such designated information without the consent of the applicants, except to persons directly involved in the registration process described in this section or as required by law.

(F) Beginning January 1, 2007, each applicant shall pay a registration and inspection fee of one hundred fifty dollars for each product name and brand registered for the company whose name appears on the label. If an applicant files for a renewal of registration after the deadline established by rule, the applicant shall pay a penalty fee of seventy-five dollars for each product name and brand registered for the applicant. The penalty fee shall be added to the original fee and paid before the renewal registration is issued. In addition to any other remedy available under this chapter, if a pesticide that is not registered pursuant to this section is distributed within this state, the person required to register the pesticide shall do so and shall pay a penalty fee of seventy-five dollars for each product name and brand registered for the applicant. The penalty fee shall be added to the original fee of one hundred fifty dollars and paid before the registration is issued.

(G) Provided that the state is authorized by the administrator of the United States environmental protection agency to register pesticides to meet special local needs, the director shall require the information set forth under divisions (B), (C), (D), and (E) of this section and shall register any such pesticide after determining that all of the following conditions are met:

(1) Its composition is such as to warrant the proposed claims for it.

(2) Its labeling and other material required to be submitted comply with the requirements of the federal act and of this chapter, and rules adopted thereunder.

(3) It will perform its intended function without unreasonable adverse effects on the environment.

(4) When used in accordance with widespread and commonly recognized practice, it will not generally cause unreasonable adverse effects on the environment.

(5) The classification for general or restricted use is in conformity with the federal act.

The director shall not make any lack of essentiality a criterion for denying the registration of any pesticide. When two pesticides meet the requirements of division (G) of this section, the director shall not register one in preference to the other.

(H)

(1) The director may refuse to register a pesticide if the application for registration fails to comply with this section.

(2) The director may suspend or revoke a pesticide registration after a hearing in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code for a pesticide that fails to meet the claims made for it on its label.

(3) The director may immediately suspend a pesticide registration, prior to a hearing, when the director believes that the pesticide poses an immediate hazard to human or animal health or a hazard to the environment. Not later than fifteen days after suspending the registration, the director shall determine whether the pesticide poses such a hazard. If the director determines that no hazard exists, the director shall lift the suspension of the registration. If the director determines that a hazard exists, the director shall revoke the registration in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code.

(I) All money collected under this section shall be credited to the pesticide, fertilizer, and lime program fund created in section 921.22 of the Revised Code.

Amended by 128th General AssemblyFile No.9, HB 1, §101.01, eff. 7/17/2009.

Effective Date: 07-01-2004; 06-30-2005