SB1839 Engrossed LRB100 06226 SMS 16261 b
1		AN ACT concerning regulation.
2		Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3		represented in the General Assembly:
4		Section 5. The Coal Mining Act is amended by changing
5		Sections 11.08 and 11.09 as follows:
6		(225 ILCS 705/11.08)
7		Sec. 11.08. Self-contained self-rescuer (SCSR) devices;
8		caches; strobe lights; luminescent signs.
9		(a) An operator must require each person underground to
10		carry a SCSR device on his or her person or, alternatively, a
11		SCSR device must be kept within 25 feet of the person
12		underground or may be kept more than 25 feet from the person
13		underground if done according to a plan approved by the Mining
14		Board.
15		(b) An operator must provide for each person who is
16		underground at least one SCSR device, in addition to the device
17		required under subsection (a), that provides protection for a
18		period of one hour or longer, to cover all persons in the mine.
19		This additional SCSR device must be kept within 25 feet of the
20		person underground or may be kept more than 25 feet from the
21		person underground if done according to a plan approved by the
22		Mining Board.
23		(c) If a mantrip or mobile equipment is used to enter or

SB1839 Engrossed - 2 - LRB100 06226 SMS 16261 b
1		exit the mine, additional SCSR devices, each of which must
2		provide protection for a period of one hour or longer, must be
3		available for all persons who use such transportation from
4		portal to portal.
5		(c-5) Beginning July 31, 2007, in addition to the SCSR
6		devices required under subsections (a), (b), and (c) of this
7		Section, an operator must provide, at a minimum, the number of
8		SCSRs in the primary and alternate escapeways as required by
9		the mine's approved Mine Safety and Health Administration
10		Emergency Response Plan of 30 SCSR devices in each cache
11		located within a mine. All SCSR devices required under this
12		subsection (c-5) shall be stored in caches that are conspicuous
13		and readily accessible by each person in the mine. If the
14		average seam height of a mine is:
15		(1) less than 40 inches, caches must be located no more
16		than 2,200 feet apart throughout a mine;
17		(2) 40 inches or more, but less than 51 inches, caches
18		must be located no more than 3,300 feet apart throughout a
19		mine;
20		(3) 51 inches or more, but less than 66 inches, caches
21		must be located no more than 4,400 feet apart throughout a
22		mine; and
23		(4) 66 inches or more, caches must be located no more
24		than 5,700 feet apart throughout a mine.
25		An operator must submit for approval a plan addressing the
26		requirements of this subsection (c-5) to the Mining Board on or

SB1839 Engrossed - 3 - LRB100 06226 SMS 16261 b
1		before May 1, 2007.
2		(d) (Blank). The Mining Board must require all operators to
3		provide additional SCSR devices in the primary and alternate
4		escapeways to ensure safe evacuation if the Mining Board
5		determines that the SCSR devices required under subsections
6		(a), (b), (c), and (c-5) are not adequate to provide enough
7		oxygen for all persons to safely evacuate the mine under mine
8		emergency conditions for all persons underground through both
9		primary and alternate escapeways. The Mining Board must
10		determine the time needed for safe evacuation under emergency
11		conditions from each of those locations at 1,000 foot
12		intervals. If the Mining Board determines that additional SCSR
13		devices are needed under this subsection (d), the mine operator
14		must submit a SCSR storage plan to the Mining Board for
15		approval. The mine operator must include in the SCSR storage
16		plan the location, quantity, and type of additional SCSR
17		devices, including, but not limited to, SCSR devices required
18		under subsections (a), (b), (c), and (c-5) of this Section,
19		each of which must provide protection for a period of one hour
20		or longer, that are stored in the primary and alternate
21		escapeways. The SCSR storage plan must also show how each
22		storage location in the primary and alternate escapeways was
23		determined. The Mining Board must require the mine operator to
24		demonstrate that the location, quantity, and type of the
25		additional SCSRs provide protection to all persons to safely
26		evacuate the mine. The SCSR storage plan must be kept current

SB1839 Engrossed - 4 - LRB100 06226 SMS 16261 b
1		by the mine operator and made available for inspection by an
2		authorized representative of the Mining Board and by the
3		miners' representative.
4		(e) (Blank).
5		(f) An operator must provide luminescent direction signs
6		leading to each cache and rescue chamber in a mine, and a
7		luminescent sign with the word "SELF-RESCUER" or
8		"SELF-RESCUERS" must be conspicuously posted at each cache and
9		rescue chamber.
10		(g) Intrinsically safe, battery-powered strobe lights that
11		have been approved by the Department must be affixed to each
12		cache and rescue chamber and must be capable of automatic
13		activation in the event of an emergency; however, until such
14		time as the Department approves intrinsically safe,
15		battery-powered strobe lights, reflective tape or any other
16		illuminated material approved by the Department must be affixed
17		to each cache and rescue chamber in a mine.
18		(h) An operator must implement The Mining Board must adopt
19		and impose a plan as required by the mine's approved Mine
20		Safety and Health Administration Emergency Response Plan for
21		the daily inspection of SCSR devices required under subsections
22		(a), (b), and (c) of this Section in order to ensure that the
23		devices perform their designated functions each working day.
24		Additional SCSR devices required under subsections (c-5) and
25		(d) must be inspected every 90 days to ensure that the devices
26		perform their designated functions, in addition to meeting all

SB1839 Engrossed - 5 - LRB100 06226 SMS 16261 b
1		federal Mine Safety and Health Administration requirements.
2		(i) Any person who, without the authorization of the
3		operator or the Mining Board, knowingly removes or attempts to
4		remove any self-contained self-rescue device, battery-powered
5		strobe light, reflective tape, or any other illuminated
6		material approved by the Department from a mine or mine site
7		with the intent to permanently deprive the operator of the
8		device, light, reflective tape, or illuminated material or who
9		knowingly tampers with or attempts to tamper with the device,
10		light, reflective tape, or illuminated material is guilty of a
11		Class 4 felony.
12		(j) (Blank).
13		(k) (Blank).
14		(Source: P.A. 94-1041, eff. 7-24-06; 94-1101, eff. 2-9-07.)
15		(225 ILCS 705/11.09)
16		Sec. 11.09. Rescue chambers.
17		(a) Rescue chambers must be provided and located within
18		1,000 3,000 feet from the nearest working face of each working
19		section of a mine, in accordance with the mine's approved Mine
20		Safety and Health Administration Emergency Response Plan a plan
21		submitted by an operator and approved by the Mining Board.
22		(a-5) Outby rescue chambers must also be provided at
23		distances and locations approved in the mine's approved Mine
24		Safety and Health Administration Emergency Response Plan.
25		(b) (Blank). An operator must submit a plan for approval

SB1839 Engrossed - 6 - LRB100 06226 SMS 16261 b
1		concerning the construction and maintenance of rescue chambers
2		required under this Section to the Mining Board on or before
3		May 1, 2007.
4		(Source: P.A. 94-1041, eff. 7-24-06; 94-1101, eff. 2-9-07.)