Northshore Mining Co. will pay an $11,750 civil penalty and take corrective action under a settlement with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency over air-quality violations.
The MPCA found that Northshore in late 2008 and again in 2009 violated limits for particulate matter at two locations -- a smokestack emission scrubber and a coal vent.
This fall, the company will restart the furnace for the first time since 2008 and retest the discharge scrubber. It also is developing a compliance plan for the coal-operations vent, an MPCA news release stated Wednesday.
Northshore, a subsidiary of Cliffs Natural Resources, processes taconite iron ore at a plant in Silver Bay.
"Cliffs Natural Resources takes its commitment to the environment very seriously and has thoroughly investigated both issues,'' said Maureen Talarico, a Cliffs Natural Resources spokeswoman. "Environmental sustainability is a core value of Cliffs' operations and when issues may arise, Cliffs remains committed to putting lasting solutions in place."
