Subd. 1. Rules.

The commissioner of public safety shall adopt rules for the safekeeping, storage, handling, use, or other disposition of flammable liquids, flammable gases, blasting agents, and explosives. Loads carried in or on vehicles transporting such products upon public highways within this state shall be governed by the uniform vehicle size and weights provisions in sections 169.80 to 169.88 and the transportation of hazardous materials provisions of section 221.033. The rules for flammable liquids and flammable gases shall be distinguished from each other and from the rules covering other materials subject to regulation under this subdivision.

Subd. 2. Blasting agent defined; explosives classified.

1. (a) For the purposes of this section, and the rules adopted pursuant thereto, the term blasting agent means any material or mixture, consisting of a fuel and oxidizer, intended for blasting, not otherwise classified as an explosive and in which none of the ingredients is classified as an explosive, providing that the finished product, as mixed and packaged for use or shipment, cannot be detonated by means of a number 8 test blasting cap when unconfined. The term blasting agent does not include flammable liquids or flammable gases.

2. (b) For the purposes of this section, and the rules adopted pursuant thereto, explosives are divided into three classes and are defined as follows:

   1. (1) class A explosives: possessing detonating or otherwise maximum hazard, such as dynamite, nitroglycerin, picric acid, lead azide, fulminate of mercury, blasting caps, and detonating primers;
   2. (2) class B explosives: possessing flammable hazard, such as propellant explosives (including some smokeless powders), black powder, photographic flash powders, and some special fireworks;

   3. (3) class C explosives: includes certain types of manufactured articles which contain class A, or class B explosives, or both, as components but in restricted quantities.

      The term explosive or explosives means any chemical compound, mixture or device, the primary or common purpose of which is to function by explosion; that is, with substantially instantaneous release of gas and heat, unless such compound, mixture, or device is otherwise specifically classified by the United States department of transportation. The term explosives includes all material which is classified as class A, class B, and class C explosives by the United States department of transportation, and includes, but is not limited to dynamite, black powder, pellet powder, initiating explosives, blasting caps, electric blasting caps, safety fuse, fuse lighters, fuse igniters, squibs, cordeau detonate fuse, instantaneous fuse, igniter cord, igniters, and some special fireworks. Commercial explosives are those explosives which are intended to be used in commercial or industrial operation. The term explosives does not include flammable liquids or flammable gases.

Subd. 3. Applicability to ordinances.

No local government shall enact any regulation or ordinance which is inconsistent with the rules adopted by the commissioner of public safety pursuant to this section. Nothing in this section shall be construed to affect the power of any local government, when so authorized by law, to regulate the use of land by zoning. Any city in which there is no comprehensive zoning ordinance in effect may prohibit the installation or erection of flammable liquid bulk plants within areas which are predominantly residential or in areas used predominantly for retail mercantile purposes. Any city may prescribe routes for the transportation of flammable liquids through such city by motor vehicle transport.

Subd. 4. Local authority.

The fire marshal of each city of the first class, the chief of the fire department of each other city in which a fire department is established, the mayor of each city in which no fire department exists, the president of the statutory city board of each statutory city in which no fire department exists, and the town clerk of each town without the limits of any city shall enforce within their respective jurisdictions all rules adopted pursuant to this section and shall render such other assistance as may be requested.

Subd. 5. Misdemeanor.

Any violation of a rule shall constitute a misdemeanor.

Subd. 6. Procedure for adopting rules.

The code and all amendments thereto shall be adopted in accordance with the procedures of the Administrative Procedure Act.