(a) (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, on or after April 1, 2011, a person may not sell or distribute for use or sale any fertilizer intended for use on established lawns or grass unless it is low phosphorous fertilizer.
(2) This subsection does not apply to organic or natural organic fertilizer that is sold to a professional fertilizer applicator.
(b) (1) On or before April 1, 2011, a manufacturer of lawn fertilizer whose products are sold in the State shall reduce by 50% from 2006 levels the amount of available phosphate (P2O5) resulting from the application of its lawn care products within the State.
(2) The amount of available phosphate (P2O5) resulting from the application within the State of lawn care products sold or distributed by a manufacturer may not exceed an average of 1.5% available phosphate (P2O5) if, prior to April 1, 2010, the manufacturer did not sell or distribute fertilizer in the State intended for use on established lawns or grass.
(3) Beginning in 2011, a manufacturer of fertilizer whose products are sold in the State shall report the pounds of phosphorus in its lawn care products sold at retail locations in the State to the Department at the end of each calendar year.
(c) The Department may adopt regulations to implement this section.
Structure Maryland Statutes
Title 6 - Commercial Feed and Fertilizer and Agricultural Liming Materials
Subtitle 2 - Maryland Commercial Fertilizer Law
Section 6-202 - Administration
Section 6-203 - Enforcement; Rules and Regulations
Section 6-205 - Publication of Information Concerning Fertilizers and Soil Conditioners
Section 6-206 - Inspection, Sampling, Testing, and Analyses of Commercial Fertilizer
Section 6-208 - Registration and Inspection Fees
Section 6-209 - Semiannual Statement of Tonnage Sold; Report of Sales to Nonregistrant
Section 6-209.1 - Records of Sale or Distribution of Ammonium Nitrate Fertilizer
Section 6-210.1 - Commercial Fertilizer -- Required Signage at Retail Outlets
Section 6-211 - Distribution of Adulterated or Misbranded Fertilizer or Soil Conditioner
Section 6-213 - Change in Plant Nutrient Content
Section 6-214 - Disposition of Fertilizer or Soil Conditioner Found in Violation of Subtitle
Section 6-215 - Official Analysis Prima Facie Evidence of Composition
Section 6-216 - Report of Violations for Criminal Prosecution; Minor Violations
Section 6-218 - Refusal or Cancellation of Registration
Section 6-219 - Deficiencies or Excesses in Plant Nutrients
Section 6-221 - Regulations Regarding Product Standards
Section 6-222 - Low Phosphorous Fertilizer
Section 6-223 - Regulation of Fertilizer and Its Application