Utah Admin. Code R392-600 § R392-600-3

Preliminary Assessment Procedures.

In Force
Verified 10/19/2026 · Next check 10/26/2026
effective 10/19/2026UtahMold, Asbestos & Indoor Air

Operative Text

Utah Admin. Code R392-600 § R392-600-3
R392-600-3. Preliminary Assessment Procedures.
           (1) If a test result indicates a property is potentially contaminated, the local health department shall notify the owner of
record of the test results and:
           (a) if the test result was from non-confirmation sampling, the owner of record may obtain confirmation sampling,
performed by a certified decontamination specialist, within 10 days of receipt of the notice and provide the local health
department with the confirmation sampling test results; or
           (b) if the test result was from confirmation sampling, the local health department shall direct the owner of record to
decontaminate the property as outlined in this rule.
           (2)(a) If a decontamination is directed as in Subsection (1)(b), the decontamination specialist or owner of record shall
determine the nature and extent of damage and contamination of the property by performing a preliminary assessment before
beginning decontamination activities.
           (b) Contamination may be removed before approval of the work plan as necessary to abate an imminent threat to
human health or the environment.
           (c) If there was a fire or an explosion in the contaminated portion of the property that appears to have compromised its
structural integrity, the decontamination specialist or owner of record shall obtain a structural assessment of the contaminated
portion of the property before initiating the preliminary assessment.
           (3) To conduct the preliminary assessment, the decontamination specialist or owner of record shall:
            (a) request and review copies of any law enforcement, state agency or other report regarding illegal drug activity or
suspected illegal drug activity at the property;
            (b) evaluate information obtained regarding the nature and extent of damage and contamination;
            (c) determine the method of illegal drug manufacturing used;
            (d) determine the chemicals involved in the illegal drug operation;
            (e) determine specific locations where processing and illegal drug activity took place or was suspected and where
hazardous materials were stored and disposed;
            (f) use available information to delineate areas of contamination;
            (g) develop procedures to safely enter the property to conduct a preliminary assessment;
            (h) wear appropriate personal protective equipment for the conditions assessed;
            (i) visually inspect each portion of the property, including each area outside of any impacted structure to document
where each stained material or surface is visible, drug production took place, hazardous material was stored, and burn pit or
illegal drug operation trash pile may have been or are currently present;
            (j) determine whether the property contains a septic system on-site and if there has been a release to the system as a
result of the illegal drug operations;
            (k) determine the locations of the ventilation system components in the areas of contamination;
            (l) conduct and document appropriate testing for corrosive, flammable, combustible, and toxic atmospheres during the
initial entry in the contaminated portion of the property using a LEL/O2 meter, pH paper, PID, FID, or equivalent equipment; and
            (m) if decontamination is not anticipated due to the lack of supporting evidence of decontamination, obtain
confirmation samples to demonstrate compliance with the decontamination standards using the methodology specified in this
rule.
            (4) If the preliminary assessment does not reveal the presence of contamination above the decontamination standards
specified in this rule, the decontamination specialist or owner of record may request that the property be removed from the list of
contaminated properties as specified in Section 19-6-903 provided that:
            (a) a final report documenting the preliminary assessment is submitted to the local health department by the owner of
record and decontamination specialist if one was involved in conducting the preliminary assessment; and
            (b) the local health department concurs with the recommendations contained in the report.
            (5)(a) If the preliminary assessment reveals the presence of contamination, the decontamination specialist or owner of
record shall proceed according to Sections R392-600-4 through R392-600-7.
            (b) The contaminated portions of the property shall be kept secure against un-authorized access until the work plan has
been submitted, any required permit is issued, and the property has been decontaminated to the standards established in this rule.
Source: Legislative text reproduced verbatim
Plain English

Utah Admin. Code R392-600-3 establishes the step-by-step preliminary assessment process that applies when a property is found to be potentially contaminated by illegal drug manufacturing activity. Depending on whether initial test results came from non-confirmation or confirmation sampling, the rule sets out different pathways — including the option for additional testing or a mandatory direction to decontaminate. Before any decontamination work begins, a thorough on-site assessment must be conducted to identify the nature, extent, and locations of contamination, using specific investigative and safety procedures. If the assessment finds no contamination above established standards, the property may be eligible for removal from the contaminated properties list; if contamination is confirmed, further remediation steps are required.

Written by anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6 · Reviewed on October 19, 2026

Plain English — not legal advice.

For Property Managers

Under R392-600-3, property owners who receive notice of a potentially contaminated property from their local health department should be aware that the rule triggers a structured response process. If directed toward decontamination based on confirmation sampling, owners of record — or a certified decontamination specialist they engage — are generally expected to conduct a thorough preliminary assessment covering chemical identification, contamination mapping, structural review if applicable, and atmospheric safety testing before any cleanup begins. Owners who complete a preliminary assessment showing no contamination above the rule's standards can submit a final report to the local health department and request removal from the contaminated properties list, provided the department concurs with the findings.

General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.

For Tenants

R392-600-3 is relevant to tenants because it governs what must happen to a property suspected of drug-manufacturing contamination before it can be reoccupied or cleared. The rule requires that contaminated portions of a property be kept secure against unauthorized access until a work plan is submitted, any required permit is issued, and decontamination meets the standards set in the rule — which directly affects tenant access and habitability. Tenants who have concerns about whether a property has been properly assessed or decontaminated under this provision may wish to contact their local health department or consult a tenant-rights organization familiar with Utah housing and environmental regulations.

General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.

Generated October 19, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.

Effective Timeline

Current
Oct 19, 2026
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References Out

Rules and statutes cited by this regulation

Utah Code § 19-6-903
Not yet ingested

References In

No inbound references recorded yet for this provision.

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Source Information

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