We need coal. When the ore or taconite leaves the Iron Range, it goes to the steel mills. At the mills, ore (iron oxide) is put into the blast furnace along with coke and limestone. Coke is processed from coal to remove impurities. When heated in the blast furnace, a chemical reaction takes place. The iron oxide is reduced to iron by the coke oxidizing. The limestone removes impurities from molten iron.
Without being able to make steel, we would need to import it from foreign countries that do not have pollution standards. We must carefully think things through, making our decisions that are best for our country and climate. Just because something sounds good, doesn’t make it so. Steel plays a very important part in our nation.
Ron Holmes
Duluth
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