Mining in Minnesota

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Mining in Minnesota
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(No Transcript)
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Iron Range
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Iron Range
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Mining

• Statistics of US businesses. 2006. Mining
  Minnesota (US Census Bureau)
• Mining in Minnesota (National Mining Association)
• Minnesota iron mining-our communities, state and
  nation depend on it (Iron Mining Association)
• The Minerals Industry in Minnesota (US Geological
  Survey)
• Iron Ore Statistical Compendium (USGS)
• Iron Ore Statistics and Information (USGS)
• The Mesabi Iron Range (Answers.com)
• Iron Mining Association of Minnesota

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• Mining in Minnesotas Iron Range (Friends of the
  Boundary Waters Canoe Area)
• Governors Committee on Minnesotas Mining Future
  
• US Steel tariffs and the Iron Range
• Iron Range Mining frontier (Macalester College)

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• Minnesota Department of Natural Resources,
  Division of Lands and Minerals
• Mining in Minnesota (Minnesota DNR)
• Geology Education (DNR)

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Minnesota Iron Mining

• Tied to steel tracks (Federal Reserve Bank of
  Minneapolis)
• Minnesota pilot plant (Online Insider)
• Iron mining 2002 (MPR)
• Surprise revival for iron mines of Minnesota
  (Christian Science Monitor April 22,2004)
• Minnesota iron goes global (MPR May 19, 2005)
• In Minnesota, mining makes and comeback (CNN.com
  Nov 21, 2007)
• Session Daily - Mining proposals come under
  scrutiny (Jan. 25 2008)
• New mining era for northeastern Minnesota -- and
  new environmental worries (MinnPost.com Jan 24,
  2008)
• Taconite Mines and Plant Expansions (Sierra Club)

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• Layoffs loom as Iron Range feels pinch of tough
  economy (MPR Dec 1, 2008)
• Taconite piles up as Iron Range mines shut down
  (MinnPost.com)

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• In 2006, Minnesotas nonfuel raw mineral
  production valued at 2.54 billion
• 350 million, or 16, increase from the States
  total nonfuel mineral value for 2005
• Nations leading iron ore producing State in 2006
  about 80 of ore within the United States
• Iron ore is the States leading nonfuel mineral,
  ca.85 of the total nonfuel mineral production
  value
• Construction sand and gravel
• Crushed stone
• Industrial sand and gravel
• Dimension stone
• Lime
• Peat
• Common clays
• Gemstones

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• 6 producing iron ore mines in Northeast Minnesota
  capable of producing over 40 million tons of
  taconite annually
• The iron mines directly contribute 1.8 billion
  to the economy of Minnesota every year in the
  form of purchases, wages and benefits, taxes, and
  royalties
• Subsequent business impact induced as the result
  of iron mining is responsible for more than an
  additional 1.6 billionmaking the total economic
  impact 3.1 billion on the state and regions
  economy
• Currently the mines directly employ approximately
  3,000 men and women, with supporting an
  additional 1210,000 employed by vendors jobs
• Part of the direct impact to the economy includes
  taxes and royalties paid by the iron mining
  industry
• Taxes payable in 2008 equaled 148.7 million
• Distribution of those taxes included 56.9
  million towards Minnesotas education--45.8
  million to K-12 and 11.1 million to the
  University Trust Fund

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Historical Overview

• History of mining and quarrying in Minnesota
  (Upham,1898)
• Iron Mining in Minnesota (Van Barneveld, 1912)
• Timeline of Minnesotas Iron Range (MPR)

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• Iron Mining
• Natural Ore
• Taconite
• Taconite (Wikipedia)
• Taconite Mining and Processing Industry Profile
  (EPA, 2001)
• Taconite (Minnesota Statutes)
• Taconite (Minnesota Historical Society)
• Iron Ore Energy, Labor, and Capital Changes with
  Technology (1978)
• Iron Ore From Depletion to Abundance (1981)

• Mining Minnesota (non ferrous)

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Taconite Overview

• Taconite Digging into Minnesotas past (DNR)
• STEEL Taconite Boom (Time April 28 1952)
• 2 edges of technological progress the case of
  Lake Superior iron mining (Federal Reserve Bank,
  Minneapolis)
• Mining process (Iron Mining Association of
  Minnesota)
• The iron pellets mines have to transport and
  deliver their product to the steel mills in the
  eastern United States is by the ore boats known
  as Lakers

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Cliffs

• An international mining and natural resources
  company
• Largest producer of iron ore pellets in North
  America, a major supplier of direct-shipping lump
  and fines iron ore out of Australia and a
  significant producer of metallurgical coal
• The North American business unit is comprised of
  six iron ore mines in Michigan, Minnesota and
  Eastern Canada, and two coking coal mining
  complexes in West Virginia and Alabama in
  Michigan Empire Mine and Tilden Mine , in
  Minnesota - Hibbing Taconite, Northshore Mining
  and United Taconite in Canada Wabush Mine 
• History
• United Taconite
• Cleveland-Cliffs Acquires Minority Partner's
  Interest in United Taconite (CBS Interactive July
  14, 2008)
• United Taconite to Up Production, Return to
  40-Hour Workweek (CBS Interactive Sept 7, 2009)

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• The Eveleth Expansion Company was formed in
  Minnesota in March 1976 as a partnership between,
  Virginia Horn Taconite Company, Ontario Eveleth
  Company, Dofasco Eveleth Corporation, and ONCO
  Eveleth Company.
• The partnership was created to produce and
  deliver taconite pellets to a mining venture
  called the "Expansion Project," which was also a
  partnership between Eveleth Expansion Company and
  several large American and Canadian firms such as
  Armco Steel, Oglebay Norton, Eveleth Taconite,
  and Dominion Foundries and Steel, Ltd.
• Eveleth taconite plant closes (MPR May 14 2003)

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Essar Steel

• Essar Steel Minnesota LLC has access to iron ore
  resources of over 1.4 billion tonnes
• The company plans to set up an integrated steel
  plant on the Mesabi iron range in northeast
  Minnesota
• The estimated cost of the project is USD 1.65
  billion the plant will have an annual capacity
  of 2.5 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) when
  completed
• The strategy is to combine a high-quality orebody
  with modern and commercially proven technology
  and develop a vertically integrated steel mill
• It will be the first facility in North America to
  include iron ore mining, ore processing, direct
  reduction and steelmaking on a single site
• Location
• Essar Steel breaks ground on Nashwauk plant (MPR,
  Sept 19, 2008)
• Judges consider Essar Steel Minnesota project
  impact on environment (Steel Guru July 21, 2009)

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Mesabi Nugget Project

• Steel Dynamics and Kobe Steel Ltd. have partnered
  to construct and operate at Hoyt Lakes,
  Minnesota, the world's first full-scale
  demonstration plant using the pioneering ITmk3
  process developed by Kobe Steel
• This process promises to be both environmentally
  friendly and energy efficient, reducing emissions
  by more than 40 percent compared to current
  processes and using 30 percent less energy than
  integrated steelmaking
• This plant is expected to produce high volumes of
  97-percent-pure iron nuggets very
  cost-effectively
• Mesabi Nugget Project (Minnesota DNR)
• Mesabi Nugget announces delay in start-up
  (MinnesotaBrown, May 23, 2009)
• Mesabi Nugget taconite plant to start work soon (
  Advantage Business Media Sept 29, 2009)

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Mesabi Nugget Project
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Duluth Metals Limited

• Canadian mineral exploration Corporation which
  has completed a number of preliminary economic
  assessments on a large, potentially bulk-mineable
  underground copper-nickel- deposit located in the
  Duluth Complex in northeastern Minnesota, USA
• The Nokomis Deposit is situated southeast of Ely
• Consists of approximately 3,000 acres of land in
  a combination of State Leases, a private mineral
  lease and Federal Prospecting Permits

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Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range Railroad

• Acquired on May 10, 2004 by the Canadian National
  Railway
• when it purchased the assets of Great Lakes
  Transportation
• Great Lakes Transportation LLC is a group of
  transportation related companies primarily
  consisting of rail and water carriers catering to
  the needs of the steel making industry centered
  around the Great Lakes of North America. GLT
  companies include
• Bessemer and Lake Erie Railroad
• Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range Railway
• Great Lakes Fleet, Inc.
• Pittsburgh Conneaut Dock Company
• Formerly owned by the privately-owned Transtar,
  Inc., GLT's rail and marine holdings were
  purchased in 2004 by the Canadian National
  Railway for 380 million USD.
• Great Lakes Fleet operates eight Great Lakes bulk
  carriers ranging from 1,004 feet long to 767 feet
  long.
• How the railroads that serve the Iron Range
  evolved and consolidated

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Gender Discrimination

• North Country
• It was like they'd never seen a woman before
  (Guardian Feb 3, 2006)
• Lois E. Jenson v Eveleth Taconite Co. (FindLaw)
  Unofficial
• Jenson v Eveleth Taconite (Wikipedia)

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Silver Bay and Reserve Mining
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Reserve Mining Company

• History of Silver Bay
• Northshore Mining originally operated as Reserve
  Mining Company, was the first taconite processing
  facility in North America when it opened in 1955.
  After Reserve filed for bankruptcy in 1986, the
  plant was downsized to 4.8 million tons per year
  capacity and reopened in 1990 as Northshore
  Mining Company. Now owned by Cliffs
• U.S. v. Reserve Mining Co., 380 F. Supp. 11, 17
  (D. Minn. 1974)
• US v Reserve Mining (J Water Pollution Control
  Federation, 1976)
• The legacy of the Reserve Mining case (MPR Oct
  29, 2003)
• Miles Lord calls for a halt to taconite projects
  (MPR Feb 23, 2005)
• Company seeks to reopen 1970s Reserve Mining case
  (MPR July 31, 2007)

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Financial Aspects of Iron Mining

• The Taconite Amendment (Lake Benton Valley News
  July 27, 1961)
• Minnesota Constitution
• Mineral Lands (Minnesota Statutes)
• Mining (Minnesota Statutes)
• Taxing Severed Minerals (Minnesota Statutes)
• Taxing Severed Minerals (Minnesota Statutes)
• Iron Ore Tax (Minnesota Statutes)

• Taconite and Iron Mining (Department of Revenue)
• Mining Tax Guide (Minnesota Department of
  Revenue)
• Mineral Taxes (Department of Revenue)
• Mining Tax Study (Minnesota Taxpayers
  Association)

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Iron Range Resources

• State of Minnesota economic development agency
  located in Eveleth, Minnesota
• Mission is to advance regional growth by
  stabilizing and enhancing the economy of
  northeastern Minnesota's Taconite Assistance Area
• Services include business development consulting
  and financial assistance
• Business Financing
• Low Interest Business Loans
• Economic Development Grants
• Minnesota Business Opportunities
• Tax-Free Commercial Real Estate
• Grants for redevelopment (WDIO Nov. 17 2009)
• History of Agency
• Range Review

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Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis
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Health Risks of Taconite Mining

• Is Taconite Killing Miners? (MPR Aug 7, 2007)
• Rule and Implementation Information for Taconite
  Iron Ore Processing (EPA)
• Mesothelioma.net
• Minnesota Taconite Workers Health Study
  (University of Minnesota)
• Two Taconite Minnesota Mining Operations Could Be
  Held Accountable for Exceeding Asbestos Exposure
  Limits (Asbestos Network April 23, 2008)

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LTV Steel Mining Co.

• May 24, 2000 LTV Steel Company, Inc., a
  subsidiary of The LTV Corporation announced its
  intention to close permanently the operations of
  LTV Steel Mining Company, a producer of taconite
  (iron ore) pellets located in Hoyt Lakes,
  Minnesota.
• LTV Steel Mining is no longer able to provide LTV
  Steel with taconite pellets of competitive
  quality or cost
• LTV Steel said that its blast furnaces are
  experiencing lower levels of productivity and
  higher costs as a result of operating problems
  related to poor taconite pellet quality
• Pension Plan
• Mine Closing Rocks Iron Range (MPR)

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PolyMet Corporation

• PolyMet Mining Inc./NorthMet Project
• PolyMet Mining, Inc. (PolyMet) proposes to
  develop an open pit mine and to refurbish and
  modify the former LTV Steel Mining taconite ore
  processing facility to extract copper metal and
  precipitates of nickel, cobalt and precious
  metals near Babbitt and Hoyt Lakes in
  northeastern Minnesota
• The DNR and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are
  preparing a joint Environmental Impact Statement
  (EIS) that will satisfy both state and federal
  environmental review requirements
• Draft Environmental Impact Statement (Minnesota
  DNR)

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Franconia Minerals Corporation

• Position on non-ferrous mining in Minnesota
• Currently focused on the development of the Birch
  Lake copper-nickel-platinum-palladium project -
  in the highly prospective Duluth complex in
  northeastern Minnesota
• The recently updated report estimates an
  Indicated Resource of 131.2 million tonnes, plus
  an Inferred Resource of 37.5 million tonnes for
  the Birch Lake deposit (see news release of
  September 23, 2009)
• Underground mining at Birch Lake will minimize
  the surface impact of the operation
• Storage of mine wastes underground would further
  minimize the surface impact
• Additional resources at the Birch Lake project
  include Inferred Resources at the Maturi deposit
  (see news release of September 6, 2006)
• and at the Spruce Road deposit (see news release
  of December 3, 2007)

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Non-Ferrous Mining

• MiningMinnesota - seeks to give Minnesotans the
  facts about non-ferrous mining efforts currently
  being proposed in the state
• Non-Ferrous Mining in Minnesota (Minnesota Center
  for Environmental Advocacy)
• Paychecks v. protection Sulfide mining in
  Minnesota (Mother Nature Network)
• Environmental group produces film on sulfide
  mining (MPR, Nov. 5 2009)
• Battle Brews Over Mining Proposals for Northern
  Minnesota (Fox News June 6, 2009)
• Safe Mines to Protect our Waters (Minnesota
  Environmental Partnership)
• Precious Waters (Friends of the Boundary Waters
  Canoe Area)

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• Mining nature's bounty Minnesota transforms an
  abandoned iron field into a revenue-building
  recreational resort (The Free Library) Giants
  Ridge
• Taconite tailings find second life in road
  construction (MPR)
• Historical Use of Taconite Byproducts as
  Construction Aggregate Materials in Minnesota A
  Progress Report (Natural Resources Research
  Institute)
• The next iron rush (CNNMoney.com May 20, 2009)
• Special focus iron mining goes green
  (BusinessNorth.com July 9, 2009)