Горнодобывающий гигант Cleveland-Cliffs оспорил штраф в 22 тыс. долларов за нарушение экологических норм

A Minnesota Pollution Control Agency air permit violation announced against Cleveland-Cliffs Inc.’s United Taconite facility, is being challenged by the iron ore and steelmaker. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) said Monday that United Taconite will have to pay more than $22,000 for the air permit violation, according to the MPCA. United Taconite’s Fairlane taconite processing plant in Forbes missed an emissions testing deadline, according to the MPCA. United Taconite was required to perform necessary testing that the company failed to carry out to verify that its particulate matter emissions were were within permitted limits, the MPCA said. The tests were required by November 2023, the MPCA said. However, Cleveland-Cliffs in statement said it disagrees with the MPCA. “Cleveland-Cliffs strongly disagrees with the MPCA’s enforcement action against United Taconite,” the company said. “Coal combustion on the Line 1 furnace ceased in April 2022—more than a year before the 2023 testing deadline. Simply put, United Taconite could not conduct a coal-specific particulate matter stack test when it was no longer burning coal. Prior to ceasing coal use on its Line 1 furnace, United Taconite completed the required stack testing, with emissions well below applicable regulatory limits. For six years, United Taconite has worked cooperatively with the MPCA throughout the Title V permit renewal process and proposed permit language requiring future stack testing if coal combustion on Line 1 furnace ever resumes. The MPCA’s enforcement action fails to appropriately account for these fundamental facts.” United Taconite is one of four Cleveland-Cliffs taconite operations in northeastern Minnesota. Cleveland-Cliffs owns and operates United Taconite in Eveleth and Forbes, Northshore Mining Co. in Babbitt and Silver Bay and Minorca Mine near Virginia. It’s also majority owner and operator of Hibbing Taconite Co. near Hibbing and Chisholm. “The MPCA is committed to protecting human health and the environment by enforcing rules and regulations and limiting pollution and discharges from facilities,” the MPCA said. “When facilities do not fully comply with regulatory requirements, the resulting pollution can be harmful to people and the environment. During the Governor Walz administration, the MPCA has issued 8,475 enforcement actions amounting to nearly $25 million in penalties. Penalty payments go into the MPCA’s general fund, which enables the MPCA to protect communities and the environment from harmful pollution.” When calculating penalties, the MPCA considers a number of factors including the seriousness of the violation, the potential for harm to human health or the environment, history of noncompliance, and the economic benefit the company gained by failing to comply with environmental laws.”