Section 200.190  Official Notice

a)         Official notice may be taken of:

1)         Matters of which the Circuit Courts of this State may take judicial notice; and

2)         Generally recognized technical or scientific facts within the Agency's specialized knowledge.

b)         Parties shall be notified before or during a hearing, or by reference in preliminary reports, or otherwise, of the material noticed, including any staff memoranda or data to be offered as evidentiary matter during the course of the hearing, and the parties shall be afforded an opportunity to contest the material so noticed.  The Agency's experience, technical competence and specialized knowledge may be utilized in the evaluation of the evidence.

(Source:  Amended at 33 Ill. Reg. 14137, effective September 28, 2009)