Radon Control in New Home Construction: Developments in State Policy

Minnesota

In 2007, the Minnesota legislature enacted a law that requires the state Department of Labor and Industries to adopt rules for radon control, specifically the radon control methods found in the International Residential Code Appendix F, as part of the state building code for all new residential buildings. Minn. Stat. 16B.61 (Subd. 3b); available at:https://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/statutes/?id=16B.61. In 2008, the state also enacted legislation establishing t he state building code as the standard to be applied at the local level throughout the state. Under this law, the state building code supersedes the building code of any municipality, though local jurisdictions may, with the approval of the state building official, adopt an ordinance that is more restrictive than the State Building Code where warranted by geological conditions. 2008 Minn. Laws, Chapter 322, § 3, available at: https://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/laws/?id=322&doctype=Chapter&year=2008&type=0. Thus, once the Department of Labor and Industries promulgates its rule incorporating the radon control standards into the building code, those minimum requirements will apply statewide.

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