(a) The commissioner shall:
(1) determine the impact of pesticides on the environment, including the impacts on surface water and groundwater in this state;
(2) develop best management practices involving pesticide distribution, storage, handling, use, and disposal; and
(3) cooperate with and assist other state agencies and local governments to protect public health, pollinators, and the environment from harmful exposure to pesticides.
(b) The commissioner may assemble a group of experts under section 16C.10, subdivision 2, to consult in the investigation of pollinator deaths or illnesses. The group of experts may include representatives from local, state, and federal agencies; academia, including the University of Minnesota; the state pollinator bank; or other professionals as deemed necessary by the commissioner. The amount necessary for the purposes of this paragraph, not to exceed $100,000 per fiscal year, is appropriated from the pesticide regulatory account in section 18B.05.
History:1987 c 358 s 46; 1989 c 326 art 5 s 16; 2014 c 312 art 13 s 10