America Recovery & Reinvestment Act (A.R.R.A.)
FIRE STATION CONSTRUCTION GRANT PROGRAM
Non-federal fire departments and state and local governments that fund and/or operate fire departments can begin applying for part of the $210 million in fire station construction funding to build new or modify existing fire stations available under the Fire Station Construction (FSC) Grant Program. Completed applications must be submitted no later than 5:00 p.m. EDT on July 10, 2009.
The Office of the State Fire Marshal has updated the section of the Illinois Administrative Code that pertains to the regulation of
LP-Gas and the installation of LP-Gas tanks. Specifically, 41 Ill. Adm. Code 200 has been updated effective October 1, 2008. Amongst
other modifications, the Part 200 rules now reference the 2008 edition of NFPA 58 The LP-Gas Code and the 2006 edition of NFPA 54 The
National Fuel Gas Code”. The entire text of the Part 200 rules can be accessed at: http://www.ilga.gov/commission/jcar/admincode/041/04100200sections.html
OSFM Updates Rules Applicable to cooking surface fire suppression systems
The Office of the State Fire Marshal has updated the section of the Illinois Administrative Code that pertains to fire suppression systems for cooking operations that produce grease-laden vapors. Specifically, 41 Ill. Adm. Code 251 has
been updated effective October 1, 2008. The modification to the rules now requires that existing fire suppression systems for protecting cooking operations be listed in accordance with Underwriters Laboratories Standard 300 "Standard for Fire
Testing of Fire Extinguishing Systems for Protection of Commercial Cooking Equipment". Essentially, this change will require that non UL-300 compliant existing dry chemical cooking surface suppression systems be replaced by UL-300 compliant
wet-chemical fire suppression systems. The rules allow until January 1, 2010 for the conversion of existing non-complying systems (and until January 1, 2011 for conversion of exiting non-complying systems in occupancies that are owned and operated
by a governmental entity). The entire text of the Part 251 rules can be accessed at: http://www.ilga.gov/commission/jcar/admincode/041/04100251sections.html
The specific section that contains the updated requirements pertaining to fire protection of cooking operations can be found in Section 251.120.
Underground Storage Tank Rule Changes Become Effective
On April 24, 2009, permanent rule changes replacing the OSFM emergency rules became effective. These rule changes provide that existing interstitial monitoring systems, whether required by rule at time of installation or not, must be maintained and shall not be removed. However, these rule changes do not require installation of interstitial monitoring systems that are not already in place on existing USTs. This will also require that UST piping seals be repaired as necessary to keep water out so that interstitial sensors do not produce false alarms. Additionally, the permanent rule changes also incorporate current OSFM policy, as required by US EPA, that all pressurized piping installations in the State of Illinois be equipped with and utilize automatic line leak detectors ("ALLDs").
Effective May 1, 2009, UST rules have removed the prior European Suction exemption for under-dispenser containment requirements, although European Suction piping systems continue to remain exempt from requirements for double-wall piping with interstitial monitoring under the federal Energy Policy Act of 2005. The Energy Policy Act requirements involved apply only to new and replaced UST installations.
Further details on both rule changes are in the attached documents, which show the rule changes by underline (new text) and strikeout (deletion of old text).
Rule Changes to Implement the
Federal Energy Policy Act of 2005
Pursuant to the federal Energy Policy Act of 2005, OSFM is adopting a requirement
for double-walled underground storage tank systems. Effective for all permits issued on or after February 1, 2008,
every new or replaced underground storage tank system, including tanks and piping, must be of double-wall construction
and have interstitial monitoring. “Double-wall” is defined to mean a factory certified container consisting of an
inner wall and outer wall with an interstitial space between the walls suitable for interstitial monitoring.
Further details are in the attached document, which shows the rule changes by underline (new text) and strikeout
(deletion of old text). These changes implement a federal requirement that states receiving federal funding for
their UST regulatory programs take certain measures to avoid and minimize releases to the environment.
