Northshore Mining is the current name of Reserve Mining, an iron mining project that was the subject of famous environmental battles in the 1970s. One result of lawsuits filed by the State of Minnesota as well as environmental and citizen groups against Reserve Mining was the establishment of an air quality standard to protect local residents from asbestos-like fibers in the air. This standard is referred to as the “control city standard” and limits the concentration of fibers in the ambient air at monitoring points in and around Silver Bay to the level they are found in a “control city,” St. Paul.
Cliffs Natural Resources, owner of Northshore, has repeatedly sought to eliminate the “control city standard” from the facilities air permit. MCEA and the State have thus far succeeded in maintaining the limit in the state-issued air permit.
In February, Northshore Mining was found to have violated the standard about 30 times between May 2010 and May 2011. They were fined $240,175 for exceeding safe levels of particulates, which can trigger heart attacks, asthma attacks, and strokes.
MCEA and partners continue to monitor compliance with the permit term limiting fiber emissions.
MCEA Documents
8th Circuit Court Opinion
District Court Order
Minnesota Court of Appeals Decision
Media
MPCA fines Northshore Mining $240,175 for dust, Star Tribune, Feb. 16, 2012