Section 602.01 Definitions

As used in Chapter 602 of the Cuyahoga County Code,

A. “Integrated Pest Management (IPM)” means a decision making, record-keeping process for managing pests that uses monitoring to determine pest injury levels, and combines biological, cultural, mechanical, physical, and chemical tools and other management practices to control pests in a safe, cost effective, and environmentally sound manner that contributes to the protection of public health and sustainability. This method uses extensive knowledge about pests, such as infestations, thresholds, life histories, environmental requirements, and natural control of pests. The method involves the use of non-chemical pest-control methods and the careful use of least-toxic chemical methods when non-chemical methods have been exhausted or are not feasible.

B. “Larvicide” shall mean a pesticide designed to kill larval pests.

C. “Organic Pest Management (OPM)” means an approach to eliminate vectors using only products derived from natural ingredients (animal or vegetable) such as natural oils, minerals from the earth, and plants.

D. “Pesticide” shall mean any spray adjuvant, substance or mixture of synthetic chemical substances, which is intended to be used for defoliating plants, regulating plant growth or for preventing, destroying, repelling, or mitigating any pest which may infest or be detrimental to vegetation, man, animals or households, or be present in any agricultural or non-agricultural environment, including fungicides, herbicides, insecticides, nematicides, rodenticides, desiccants, defoliants, and plant growth regulators.

E. “Organic Pesticide” shall mean a pesticide that is strictly of animal or vegetable origin.

F. “Public Health” shall mean the science and practice of protecting and improving the health of a community, as by preventive medicine, health education, control of communicable diseases, application of sanitary measures, and monitoring of environmental hazards.

G. “Rodenticides” shall mean a pesticide designed to kill rodent pests.

H. “Vector” shall mean any agent (animal, insect, or microorganism) that carries and transmits an infectious pathogen into another organism.

(Ordinance No. O2011-0047, Enacted 4/10/2012, Effective 4/16/2012)

Section 602.02 Prohibition of the use of Pesticides on County Owned Property

The use of pesticides on property owned by Cuyahoga County is hereby prohibited.

(Ordinance No. O2011-0047, Enacted 4/10/2012, Effective 4/16/2012)

Section 602.03 Exceptions

A. The application of larvicides and rodenticides is permitted as a public health measure necessary to reduce the spread of disease vectors pursuant to the recommendations and guidance provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the US EPA and the Ohio Department of Agriculture. Any rodenticides used shall be placed in tamper-proof products, unless designed and registered for specific environments inaccessible to humans and pets.

B. The use of pesticides may be approved with a mandatory finding by the Department of Public Works through consultation with the City of Cleveland Department of Public Health or the Cuyahoga County Board of Health affirming after a finding that the health, safety and welfare of the community is so threatened that no reasonable alternative is available and the prohibition of the use of pesticides would create the potential for allowing a significant adverse impact to the public. Under said emergency circumstance, the Cuyahoga County Board of Health and the Department of Public Works shall report their findings to County Council at its next regularly scheduled meeting.

(Ordinance No. O2011-0047, Enacted 4/10/2012, Effective 4/16/2012)