17.21.100 - Recordkeeping by licensees and agricultural users.

Recordkeeping by licensees and agricultural users.

(1) Certified applicators licensed under the provisions of this chapter, persons required to be licensed under this chapter, all persons applying pesticides to more than one acre of agricultural land in a calendar year, including public entities engaged in roadside spraying of pesticides, and all other persons making landscape applications of pesticides to types of property listed in RCW 17.21.410(1) (b), (c), (d), and (e), shall keep records for each application which shall include the following information:

     (a) The location of the land where the pesticide was applied;

     (b) The year, month, day and beginning and ending time of the application of the pesticide each day the pesticide was applied;

     (c) The product name used on the registered label and the United States environmental protection agency registration number, if applicable, of the pesticide which was applied;

     (d) The crop or site to which the pesticide was applied;

     (e) The amount of pesticide applied per acre or other appropriate measure;

     (f) The concentration of pesticide that was applied;

     (g) The number of acres, or other appropriate measure, to which the pesticide was applied;

     (h) The licensed applicator's name, address, and telephone number and the name of the individual or individuals making the application and their license number, if applicable;

     (i) The direction and estimated velocity of the wind during the time the pesticide was applied. This subsection (i) shall not apply to applications of baits in bait stations and pesticide applications within structures; and

     (j) Any other reasonable information required by the director in rule.

     (2)(a) The required information shall be recorded on the same day that a pesticide is applied.

     (b) A commercial pesticide applicator who applies a pesticide to an agricultural crop or agricultural lands shall provide a copy of the records required under subsection (1) of this section for the application to the owner, or to the lessee if applied on behalf of the lessee, of the lands to which the pesticide is applied. Records provided by a commercial pesticide applicator to the owner or lessee of agricultural lands under this subsection need not be provided on a form adopted by the department.

     (3) The records required under this section shall be maintained and preserved by the licensed pesticide applicator or such other person or entity applying the pesticides for no less than seven years from the date of the application of the pesticide to which such records refer. If the pesticide was applied by a commercial pesticide applicator to the agricultural crop or agricultural lands of a person who employs one or more employees, as "employee" is defined in RCW 49.70.020, the records shall also be kept by the employer for a period of seven years from the date of the application of the pesticide to which the records refer.

     (4)(a) The pesticide records shall be readily accessible to the department for inspection. Copies of the records shall be provided on request to: The department; the department of labor and industries; treating health care personnel initiating diagnostic testing or therapy for a patient with a suspected case of pesticide poisoning; the department of health; the *pesticide incident reporting and tracking review panel; and, in the case of an industrial insurance claim filed under Title 51 RCW with the department of labor and industries, the employee or the employee's designated representative. In addition, the director may require the submission of the records on a routine basis within thirty days of the application of any restricted use pesticide in prescribed areas controlling the use of the restricted use pesticide. When a request for records is made under this subsection by treating health care personnel and the record is required for determining treatment, copies of the record shall be provided immediately. For all other requests, copies of the record shall be provided within seventy-two hours.

     (b) Copies of records provided to a person or entity under this subsection (4) shall, if so requested, be provided on a form adopted under subsection (7) of this section. Information for treating health care personnel shall be made immediately available by telephone, if requested, with a copy of the records provided within twenty-four hours.

     (5) If a request for a copy of the record is made under this section from an applicator referred to in subsection (1) of this section and the applicator refuses to provide a copy, the requester may notify the department of the request and the applicator's refusal. Within seven working days, the department shall request that the applicator provide the department with all pertinent copies of the records, except that in a medical emergency the request shall be made within two working days. The applicator shall provide copies of the records to the department within twenty-four hours after the department's request.

     (6) The department shall include inspection of the records required under this section as part of any on-site inspection conducted under this chapter on agricultural lands. The inspection shall determine whether the records are readily transferable to a form adopted by the department and are readily accessible to employees. However, no person subject to a department inspection may be inspected under this subsection (6) more than once in any calendar year, unless a previous inspection has found recordkeeping violations. If recordkeeping violations are found, the department may conduct reasonable multiple inspections, pursuant to rules adopted by the department. Nothing in this subsection (6) limits the department's inspection of records pertaining to pesticide-related injuries, illnesses, fatalities, accidents, or complaints.

     (7) The department of agriculture and the department of labor and industries shall jointly adopt, by rule, forms that satisfy the information requirements of this section.

[1994 c 283 § 9; 1992 c 173 § 1; 1989 c 380 § 39; 1987 c 45 § 28; 1971 ex.s. c 191 § 3; 1961 c 249 § 10.]

Notes: *Reviser's note: The "pesticide incident reporting and tracking review panel" was eliminated pursuant to 2010 1st sp.s. c 7 § 132.

Effective dates -- 1992 c 173: "(1) Sections 1 through 3 of this act are necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and shall take effect immediately [April 1, 1992].

     (2) Section 4 of this act shall take effect January 1, 1993." [1992 c 173 § 5.]

Construction -- Severability -- 1987 c 45: See notes following RCW 15.54.270.