U.S. Steel announces September restart for Minntac

Taconite pellets along train tracks. PHOTO: Michael Hicks, Flickr CC.

Taconite pellets along train tracks. PHOTO: Michael Hicks, Flickr CC.

WDIO is reporting that U.S. Steel will call back all its laid off workers at Minntac for a September restart of its idled lines at Minnesota’s largest taconite mine and production plant. That date is consistent with estimates of the shutdown’s duration when it was announced earlier this year.

U.S. Steel’s other mine at Keewatin Taconite remains in shutdown, but officials there are hopeful more good news will come their way soon.

The two major shutdowns were clearly temporary as both mines have been performing maintenance work throughout the idling. Massive taconite stockpiles made it possible for U.S. Steel to continue filling orders even though the mines were quiet.

A sense of unease remains in the mining industry, however, as projections that iron prices might again plummet this fall or winter continue to surface.

 

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