Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of Public Act 094-1101
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Public Act 094-1101


 

Public Act 1101 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY



 


 
Public Act 094-1101
 
HB0822 Enrolled LRB094 07335 DRJ 37493 b

    AN ACT concerning regulation.
 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
 
    Section 5. The Coal Mining Act is amended by changing
Sections 11.08 and 11.09 as follows:
 
    (225 ILCS 705/11.08)
    Sec. 11.08. Self-contained self-rescuer (SCSR) devices;
caches; strobe lights; luminescent signs.
    (a) An operator must require each person underground to
carry a SCSR device on his or her person or, alternatively, a
SCSR device must be kept within 25 feet of the person
underground or may be kept more than 25 feet from the person
underground if done according to a plan approved by the Mining
Board.
    (b) An operator must provide for each person who is
underground at least one SCSR device, in addition to the device
required under subsection (a), that provides protection for a
period of one hour or longer, to cover all persons in the mine.
This additional SCSR device must be kept within 25 feet of the
person underground or may be kept more than 25 feet from the
person underground if done according to a plan approved by the
Mining Board.
    (c) If a mantrip or mobile equipment is used to enter or
exit the mine, additional SCSR devices, each of which must
provide protection for a period of one hour or longer, must be
available for all persons who use such transportation from
portal to portal.
    (c-5) Beginning July 31, 2007, in addition to the SCSR
devices required under subsections (a), (b), and (c) of this
Section, an operator must provide a minimum of 30 SCSR devices
in each cache located within a mine. All SCSR devices required
under this subsection (c-5) shall be stored in caches that are
conspicuous and readily accessible by each person in the mine.
If the average seam height of a mine is:
        (1) less than 40 inches, caches must be located no more
    than 2,200 feet apart throughout a mine;
        (2) 40 inches or more, but less than 51 inches, caches
    must be located no more than 3,300 feet apart throughout a
    mine;
        (3) 51 inches or more, but less than 66 inches, caches
    must be located no more than 4,400 feet apart throughout a
    mine; and
        (4) 66 inches or more, caches must be located no more
    than 5,700 feet apart throughout a mine.
    An operator must submit for approval a plan addressing the
requirements of this subsection (c-5) to the Mining Board on or
before May 1, 2007.
    (d) The Mining Board must require all operators to provide
additional SCSR devices in the primary and alternate escapeways
to ensure safe evacuation if the Mining Board determines that
If the SCSR devices required under subsections (a), (b), and
(c), and (c-5) are not adequate to provide enough oxygen for
all persons to safely evacuate the mine under mine emergency
conditions, the mine operator must provide additional SCSR
devices in the primary and alternate escapeways to ensure safe
evacuation for all persons underground through both primary and
alternate escapeways. The Mining Board must determine the time
needed for safe evacuation under emergency conditions from each
of those locations at 1,000 foot intervals. If the Mining Board
determines that additional SCSR devices are needed under this
subsection (d), the The mine operator must submit a SCSR
storage plan to the Mining Board for approval. The mine
operator must include in the SCSR storage plan the location,
quantity, and type of additional SCSR devices, including, but
not limited to, SCSR devices required under subsections (a),
(b), (c), and (c-5) of this Section, each of which must provide
protection for a period of one hour or longer, that are stored
in the primary and alternate escapeways. The SCSR storage plan
must also show how each storage location in the primary and
alternate escapeways was determined. The Mining Board must
require the mine operator to demonstrate that the location,
quantity, and type of the additional SCSRs provide protection
to all persons to safely evacuate the mine. The SCSR storage
plan must be kept current by the mine operator and made
available for inspection by an authorized representative of the
Mining Board and by the miners' representative.
    (e) (Blank) All SCSR devices required under this Section
shall be stored in caches that are conspicuous and readily
accessible by each person in the mine.
    (f) An operator must provide require luminescent direction
signs leading to each cache and rescue chamber to be posted in
a mine, and a luminescent sign with the word words
"SELF-CONTAINED SELF-RESCUER" or "SELF-CONTAINED
SELF-RESCUERS" must be conspicuously posted at each cache and
rescue chamber.
    (g) Intrinsically safe, battery-powered strobe lights that
have been approved by the Department must be affixed to each
cache and rescue chamber and must be capable of automatic
activation in the event of an emergency; however, until such
time as the Department approves intrinsically safe,
battery-powered strobe lights, reflective tape or any other
illuminated material approved by the Department must be affixed
to each cache and rescue chamber in a mine.
    (h) The Mining Board must adopt and impose a plan for the
daily inspection of SCSR devices required under subsections
(a), (b), and (c) of this Section in order to ensure that the
devices perform their designated functions each working day.
Additional SCSR devices required under subsections (c-5) and
subsection (d) must be inspected every 90 days to ensure that
the devices perform their designated functions, in addition to
meeting all federal Mine Safety and Health Administration
requirements.
    (i) Any person who, without the authorization of the
operator or the Mining Board, knowingly removes or attempts to
remove any self-contained self-rescue device, or
battery-powered strobe light, reflective tape, or any other
illuminated material approved by the Department from a mine or
mine site with the intent to permanently deprive the operator
of the device, or light, reflective tape, or illuminated
material or who knowingly tampers with or attempts to tamper
with the device, or light, reflective tape, or illuminated
material is guilty of a Class 4 felony.
    (j) (Blank) Beginning January 31, 2007, in addition to the
SCSR devices required under subsections (a), (b), and (c), an
operator must provide a minimum of 30 SCSR devices in each
cache located within a mine, in addition to federal Mine Safety
and Health Administration requirements. Caches must be located
no more than 4,000 feet apart throughout a mine.
    (k) (Blank) An operator must submit for approval a plan
addressing the requirements of subsection (j) of this Section
to the Mining Board within 3 months after the effective date of
this amendatory Act of the 94th General Assembly.
(Source: P.A. 94-1041, eff. 7-24-06.)
 
    (225 ILCS 705/11.09)
    Sec. 11.09. Rescue chambers.
    (a) Rescue chambers approved by the Mining Board must be
provided at suitable locations throughout a mine. (b) Beginning
January 31, 2007, rescue chambers approved by the Mining Board
must be provided and located within 3,000 feet of each working
section of a mine, in accordance with a plan submitted by an
operator and approved by the Mining Board.
    (b) (c) An operator must submit a plan for approval
concerning the construction and maintenance of rescue chambers
required under this Section to the Mining Board on or before
May 1, 2007 within 3 months after the effective date of this
amendatory Act of the 94th General Assembly.
(Source: P.A. 94-1041, eff. 7-24-06.)
 
    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
becoming law.

Effective Date: 2/9/2007