## TACONITE IRON ORE INDUSTRY IN THE UNITED STATES

**A Back ground 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 Minn esota 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 Em issions 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) fo r 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 prepar ed 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 fo r 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 hongm ing.jiang@pca.state.mn.us , for comments and questions.
Notes for revision/updating: 2/22/2000

– incorporate comments from MDNR Minerals Division & L TVSMC 10/4/2000

– test data corrections for NSPC and EVTAC; test data addition for L TVSMC

(these actions i nvolved 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 industry 1 Part 1. Introduction 1 Part 2. In dividual facilities 8

U.S. Steel Minnesota Ore Operations 8 Hibbing Taconite Company 10 LTV Steel Mining Company 11 EVTAC Mining, L LC 12 National Steel Pellet Company 13 Northshore Mining Company 14 Is pat
- In land Steel Mining Company 16 Package 2. Emissions of hazardous air pollutants and PM 10

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, L LC 24 National Steel Pellet Company 24 Northshore Mining Company 24 Is pat
- In land Steel Mining Company 25 Package 3. Bibliography , tables & figures 27

Bibliography 27 Tables 29 Figures 85