Trudy Y. Smith
This really is old news, but it seems so significant that it’s worth a posting. In January, the National Association of Home Builders unveiled its final version of the NAHB Green Building Standard. It has been accepted as an ANSI standard. Thus, it is no longer a guideline, but a standard with ANSI status. The remarkable thing about this standard is its position on radon. It is mandatory that buildings located in Zone 1 have radon control measures (in accordance with ICC IRC Appendix F). If a passive system is installed the builder garners 10 points
But here is the remarkable thing: If an active system is installed it’s 15 points.
This is the first mention that I know of for active systems in any building guideline or standard and it is in the STANDARD written by and for the national builders association.
It gets better:
If a passive system is installed in Zone 2, the builder gets 10 points.
We have EPA’s Dave Price to thank for this version of radon in the NAHB Standard and I hope you can see the significance of this advance. Moreover, it is my understanding that the NAHB Green Standard will become part of the IRC as an appendix in 2012. It is also my understanding that the process for adoption of the IRC by municipalities will change in 2012 insofar as communities will have to opt OUT of an Appendix rather than separately opt IN. If my information is incorrect on these last two points, I’m confident someone in the group will correct that.
This advance in the NAHB Green Standard seems to me to be a real bargaining point with builders that the industry and health community have never had before, and I hope we are all able to use it to spur better building in this country.
Categories