SPRINGFIELD – Capital Development Board (CDB) Executive Director Jan Grimes today announced $465,000 to construct an airlock at the Department of Agriculture’s Metrology Lab, a facility at the Illinois State Fairgrounds that certifies weights used around the state for official measurements. The project will allow the facility to better control temperature and humidity levels and thus maintain its accreditation from the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Illinois Department of Agriculture Director Chuck Hartke joined Grimes in making the announcement today at the Metrology Lab on behalf of Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich, who awarded the funds.

"Certifying weights and measures is one of the important but lesser known duties of the Department of Agriculture. This project will improve productivity and help the department keep its vital accreditation," said Grimes.

Measuring devices must be tested under strict environmental conditions, but those conditions are difficult to maintain in the part of the lab where weights as heavy as 5,000 pounds are certified. In order to move these massive weights, they are suspended from an I-beam that runs both inside and outside of the building. While the I-beam helps to load and unload them, it also lets outside air into the laboratory. The airlock addition will enclose this area, enabling the lab to maintain proper temperature and humidity levels.

The funding announcement comes on the eve of National Weights & Measures Week, "Weights & Measures: The Foundation of Commerce in a Global Economy," which runs March 1 – 7. The week marks the 208^th anniversary of the first weights and measures laws enacted by the United States Congress.

"Although it’s not something we usually consider, a uniform system of weights and measures is vital to our economy because it ensures equity in the marketplace," said Agriculture Director Chuck Hartke. "Whether it’s a gallon of gas or a pound of beef, the amount of product should be the same no matter where it’s purchased and a uniform system of weights and measures helps to make sure everyone gets what they paid for."

The project will be overseen by the Capital Development Board, which manages all state-funded construction, repair and rehabilitation projects. A project designer will be selected this month and construction bids will be taken once the design is complete.

"This newly released funding is important to the Department of Agriculture, but the new airlock system will also have significant benefits for the business community and Illinois’ consumers," said State Sen. Larry Bomke (R-Springfield). "As state officials, it is important that we take the steps necessary to ensure that there is fairness in the marketplace at all times."

"It is important that we as a state conform to national standards when it comes to certifying our weights and measures. These funds will allow the Department of Agriculture to do its job more accurately and uniformly," said State Rep. Raymond Poe (R-Springfield).

The Illinois Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Weights and Measures inspects scales at supermarkets, warehouses, packing plants, feed mills, shipping companies and hardware stores. It also inspects meters at gas stations and motor fuel terminals. A total of 103,228 such devices were inspected in 2005, including nearly 76,000 gas pumps. The metrology lab ensures the accuracy of these inspections by calibrating testing equipment to meet national standards.