Minnesota Steel is proposing to build and operate one of the cleanest steel mills in the world. The environmental review and permitting processes demonstrated this. Working closely with local, state and federal regulatory agencies and investing millions of dollars over more than two years, Minnesota Steel met or exceeded all environmental regulations and received its final permits in September. Minnesota Steel is committed to promoting responsible environmental stewardship in all of its affairs.

The final, approved Environmental Impact Statement and supporting documents are available on the Department of Natural Resource’s website using the following link: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/input/environmentalreview/minnsteel/index.html

From an environmental standpoint, wherever there have been choices, Minnesota Steel has made decisions which benefit the environment.  These decisions include:

• Feedstock selection - using minimal amounts of scrap steel and then only using "clean scrap,"
• Fuel selection - clean burning natural gas as well as the possibility of using some "green" power,
• Equipment selection - pellet plant, DRI, and steel mill selections made with minimizing the impacts to the environment in mind,
• Water use - recycle and reuse of 97% of the process water, nearly 100% of industrial storm water, and 100% of the water from the active mines.

The net results of these decisions are:

• 30% less energy use than a non-integrated facility,
• Air emissions 10 times lower than those from traditional iron an steel production - including mercury emissions,
• No process water discharges.