NEWS RELEASE

St. Louis County Board to Tour Minntac Mine

On Tuesday, July 27, 2004, at 1:30 PM, the St. Louis County Board will tour the Minntac Plant of U. S. Steels Minnesota Ore Operations. Minntac General Manager Jim McConnell will host the County Boards visit to the taconite plant.

The tour is at the request of 6th District Commissioner Keith Nelson, who has led an effort to bring St. Louis County Board meetings into disparate parts of the county, such as Fayal Town Hall, McDavitt Town Hall, and Tuesdays meeting at Mountain Iron City Hall. "I was pleased to bring the invitation from USX Plant Manager Jim McConnell to the St. Louis County Board, Nelson said. I think it is important we take every opportunity to acquaint commissioners from outside the taconite production area with the production and process, and for them to see the size and scope of the Minntac mine and plant site".

Minntac, which covers approximately 37,000 acres on the Mesabi Iron Range, produced 13.0 million gross tons of taconite pellets in 2003, and currently employs approximately 1,200 people in St. Louis County. The plant has been in operation since 1967.

The St. Louis County Board will tour the mine at 1:30 on Tuesday, July 27, during a break in the County Board meeting at Mountain Iron City Hall.

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