TACONITE IRON ORE INDUSTRY IN THE UNITED STATES

A Background Information Report for MACT Determination

Submitted to

The United States Environmental Protection Agency

Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards

Emission Standards Division

By

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency

520 Lafayette Road North

St. Paul, MN 55155-4194

December 30, 1999
PREFACE

Section 112(d) of the Clean Air Act Amendments (CAAA) of 1990 requires that the U.S. 

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) develop a National Emissions Standard for Hazardous 

Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for an industry that is a major source category of emissions of 

hazardous air pollutants. NESHAP can establish numerical emissions limits, which reflect 

maximum achievable control technology (MACT) for the industry.

Taconite (low-grade iron) ore processing facilities have been listed as a major hazardous air 

pollutant (HAP) source, for which the scheduled NESHAP promulgation date is November 15, 

2000. In July 1997, a contractor working for EPA prepared a preliminary industry

characterization for the taconite ore processing facilities. Realizing that this industry

characterization was based on incomplete data, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency

(MPCA) began assisting EPA in fall of 1998. In March 1999, MPCA provided EPA with 

screening estimates of HAP emissions for taconite facilities which showed all facilities were 

major sources of HAPs, i.e., greater than 25 tons of HAPs combined.

This report is prepared as a background information document for the MACT determination. It 

is supported in part by a contract from EPA (Order No. 0D-6226-NAGX). In this report, process 

operations are described and HAPs emissions are estimated for each of the seven companies in 

Minnesota. EPA will generate its own process and emission information for the two companies 

in Michigan. EPA contacts are Alfred E. Vervaert and Conrad K. Chin.

Many people directly and indirectly assisted in the preparation of this report. Hongming Jiang, 

Ph.D., P.E., drafted the report. Stuart Arkley, QEP, verified the emission information compiled 

in the report. Mary Jean Fenske, P.E., coordinated MPCA’s communications with EPA, the 

taconite industry, the environmental groups, and interested citizens. Mary Jean Fenske, Stuart 

Arkley, Trent Wickman, and Bob Beresford, of MPCA, reviewed the draft report. Conrad K. 

Chin and others also provided helpful comments.

Your comments to this report can be valuable to MPCA and EPA. Please contact Hongming 

Jiang at (651)296-7670, or e-mail hongming.jiang@pca.state.mn.us, for comments and 

questions.

Notes for revision/updating:

2/22/2000 – incorporate comments from MDNR Minerals Division & LTVSMC

10/4/2000 – test data corrections for NSPC and EVTAC; test data addition for LTVSMC 

(these actions involved Tables 4, 16, 19, 21, 24, and 25)

11/3/2000 correct “Total HAPs” column and “Rank” row in Table 4
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

Package 1. U.S. taconite iron ore industry1

Part 1. Introduction1

Part 2. Individual facilities8

U.S. Steel Minnesota Ore Operations8

Hibbing Taconite Company 10

LTV Steel Mining Company 11

EVTAC Mining, LLC 12

National Steel Pellet Company 13

Northshore Mining Company 14

Ispat-Inland Steel Mining Company 16

Package 2. Emissions of hazardous air pollutants and PM10

from U.S. taconite iron ore industry 17

U.S. Steel Minnesota Ore Operations 19

Hibbing Taconite Company 21

LTV Steel Mining Company 23

EVTAC Mining, LLC 24

National Steel Pellet Company 24

Northshore Mining Company 24

Ispat-Inland Steel Mining Company 25

Package 3. Bibliography, tables & figures 27

Bibliography 27

Tables 29

Figures 85