A. The Board shall adopt regulations to certify the competence of (i) contractor-applicators, (ii) licensees, and (iii) employees, representatives, or agents of state agencies, localities, or other governmental entities who apply any regulated product to nonagricultural lands.

B. The regulations shall establish (i) training requirements; (ii) proper nutrient management practices in accordance with § 10.1-104.2, including soil analysis techniques, equipment calibration, and the timing of the application; and (iii) reporting requirements, including the submission of an annual report as specified by the Commissioner regarding the location of lawn fertilizer and lawn maintenance fertilizer applications. Contractor-applicators and licensees who apply lawn fertilizer and lawn maintenance fertilizer to more than a total of 100 acres of nonagricultural lands annually and employees, representatives, or agents of state agencies, localities, or other governmental entities who apply lawn fertilizer and lawn maintenance fertilizer to nonagricultural lands shall submit an annual report on or before February 1 and on a form prescribed by the Commissioner. The annual report shall include the total acreage or square footage by zip code of the land receiving lawn fertilizer and lawn maintenance fertilizer in the preceding calendar year. The Department shall provide for optional reporting by electronic methods. The Department shall make publicly available every year the total acreage or square footage by zip code. Any personal information collected pursuant to this section shall be exempt from the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (§ 2.2-3700 et seq.), except that the Commissioner may release information that has been transformed into a statistical or aggregate form that does not allow identification of the persons who supplied, or are the subject of, particular information.

C. The Board may impose a civil penalty of up to $250 on any contractor-applicator or licensee who fails to comply with the regulations. The amount of the civil penalty shall be paid into the special fund established in § 3.2-3617.

D. The Board shall form a technical advisory committee of stakeholders. The Board shall consult with the technical advisory committee of stakeholders and the Department of Conservation and Recreation in the development of the regulations.

E. Any person who is subject to regulation and who applies any regulated product to nonagricultural lands shall comply with the regulations within 12 months of the effective date of the regulations.

F. Contractor-applicators and licensees in compliance with regulations adopted by the Board pursuant to this section shall not be subject to local ordinances governing the use or application of lawn fertilizer and lawn maintenance fertilizer.

2008, c. 686, § 3.1-106.4:2; 2011, cc. 341, 353, 552, 564.