Ohio Code 903.12 – Right of entry for investigations and inspections
(A) The director of agriculture or the director’s authorized representative at reasonable times may enter on any public or private property, real or personal, to make investigations and inspections, including the sampling of discharges and the inspection of discharge monitoring equipment, or to otherwise execute duties that are necessary for the administration and enforcement of this chapter. The director or the director’s authorized representative at reasonable times may examine and copy any records pertaining to discharges that are subject to this chapter or any records that are required to be maintained by the terms and conditions of a permit issued under this chapter. If refused entry, the director or the director’s authorized representative may apply for and the court of common pleas having jurisdiction may issue an appropriate warrant.
Terms Used In Ohio Code 903.12
- agriculture: includes farming; ranching; aquaculture; algaculture meaning the farming of algae; apiculture and related apicultural activities, production of honey, beeswax, honeycomb, and other related products; horticulture; viticulture, winemaking, and related activities; animal husbandry, including, but not limited to, the care and raising of livestock, equine, and fur-bearing animals; poultry husbandry and the production of poultry and poultry products; dairy production; the production of field crops, tobacco, fruits, vegetables, nursery stock, ornamental shrubs, ornamental trees, flowers, sod, or mushrooms; timber; pasturage; any combination of the foregoing; the processing, drying, storage, and marketing of agricultural products when those activities are conducted in conjunction with, but are secondary to, such husbandry or production; and any additions or modifications to the foregoing made by the director of agriculture by rule adopted in accordance with Chapter 119 of the Revised Code. See Ohio Code 1.61
- Discharge: means to add from a point source to waters of the state. See Ohio Code 903.01
- Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
- Permit: includes an initial, renewed, or modified permit to install, permit to operate, NPDES permit, and installation permit unless expressly stated otherwise. See Ohio Code 903.01
- Person: includes an individual, corporation, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, and association. See Ohio Code 1.59
- Property: means real and personal property. See Ohio Code 1.59
(B) No person to whom a permit has been issued under this chapter shall refuse entry to the director or the director’s authorized representative or purposely hinder or thwart the director or the director’s authorized representative in the exercise of any authority granted under division (A) of this section.