Minntac Gets Final Permits Needed For Expansion

MOUNTAIN IRON, Minn. (AP) — U.S. Steel has received the final federal permits necessary to move ahead with expanding its Minntac iron mine and processing facility in Mountain Iron.

A joint announcement from the company and the United Steelworkers union says the 483-acre expansion will allow the state's largest taconite operation to keep operating for around 16 more years. They say the project represents more than $40 million of investment and will create 100 new jobs at the facility, which currently employs about 1,400.

The federal permits from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency were announced Friday. They follow state permits issued by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and Department of Natural Resources last January.

The mine and its processing plant began operating in 1967 and have expanded twice before.

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