Northshore Mining

Northshore Mining. . , History , Northshore Mining Company, which originally operated as Reserve Mining, was the first taconite processing facility in North America when it opened in 1955. The plant's production capacity was doubled to 10 million tons in 1964. The property was purchased by Cyprus Minerals in 1989, and Cliffs Natural Resources became the sole owner of the property in 1994. As the demand for steel declined, the production capacity and workforce was reduced at the plant. At full capacity, Northshore Mining employs over 600 people and can produce about 6 million tons of iron ore pellets each year., Mining Process , Low-grade iron ore called "taconite" is mined in Babbitt, Minnesota. The ore is blasted, crushed and transported to Silver Bay by rail along 47 miles of track owned by Northshore Mining. At the Silver Bay processing plant, the ore is upgraded from 25 percent iron content to 65 percent iron content. The ore is ground from about 4-inch size to about the consistency of face powder and the iron is separated from the remaining rock. The major separation processes used are water, magnetic separation and flotation. Approximately 3 tons of crude ore are processed to yield one ton of final product. Once the iron is removed, it is mixed with a binder and rolled into balls about 7/16-inch diameter. They are then fired in a furnace to about 2,350 degrees, cooled and shipped to blast furnaces to make steel. The iron ore from Northshore Mining is used to make steel which goes into automobiles, household appliances,heavy machinery and military equipment., Cliffs Natural Resources: Our Values , At Cliffs Natural Resources, our top values are safety and environmental stewardship, so each hour of work is dedicated to upholding those values. First and foremost, we ensure each employee has the tools and knowledge to work in a safe manner so they can go home safely to their families each night. Cliffs is on the "Road to Zero," and will not rest until we can operate without any injuries to our employees., Northshore Mining operates under strict permits issued by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Northshore Mining's team of environmental specialists regularly monitor the air, water and other natural resources to ensure we maintain an environmentally-responsible facility., Did You Know? , . What most people think is smoke coming from the plant's furnace stacks is actually steam. , . 97% of the water used in the taconite production process is recycled. , . Mine land reclamation efforts are ongoing at the Babbitt mine, so stockpiles are sloped and vegetated. , . Someday, the mined areas will become large fresh water lakes surrounded by beautiful lands. , . The iron ore mines in Northeastern Minnesota supply the steel that goes into your vehicles and household appliances.