Section 225 ILCS 705/17.01(a) Away from the pillar for the mine bottom, crosscuts between entries shall not be made more than 60 feet apart without permission of the Mining Board. But such consent shall not be granted except in case of fault or to experiment and test some new method or plan of mining coal.(b) Any person desiring to test some new method or plan of mining coal that proposes to drive entries without crosscuts must first inform the Department of such desire. Thereupon the Department shall fix a date for the investigation and hearing before the Mining Board of such methods and plans and notify all parties interested of such date when the employer and employees may be represented at such hearing.(c) Any new method of mining during the experimental stage shall be under the direct supervision of the Mining Board and by and through its consent only.(d) Should any new method of mining coal with crosscuts more than 60 feet apart be proven to be safe in the judgment of the Mining Board after investigation, tests, and experimentation, the Mining Board shall be empowered to declare such system or method as conventional at the mine involved.