A Midwest company is asking the government to reopen a case involving a former Reserve Mining Co., active in the 1970’s.

Air Quality in Question

The Ohio Company that purchased the former mine in 1994, Cleveland-Cliffs Inc., is asking that the environmental case, decided 32 years ago, be reinstated in the federal court.

The company is asking that U.S. District Judge Donald Alsop reopen the case in order to settle the ongoing battle over the air quality in Silver Bay.

Case From the Past

The case developed in 1975 and ended the Reserve’s ability to dump taconite tailings into Lake Superior.

During this time many worried residents surrounding the lake were asking questions about the health risks of asbestos-related fibers in taconite ore, questions that remain unanswered.

In conclusion to the case, the court ruled that the Reserve’s plant, now known as Northshore Mining Co., had to limit air-fiber emissions so the air over the city of Minnesota contained no more mineral fibers than the air over St.Paul.

Testing Conducted

In accordance with this ruling, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency conducted comparative testing of the air within the two cities.

While the tests have since shown that the air in both cities has lower levels of asbestos fibers than it did 25 years ago, the fibers over Silver Bay near the Refinery still far exceed the amount in St. Paul.

Asbestos Dangers

This new dispute was brought up with concerns of the health effects asbestos can have on humans.

State studies have shown that 58 iron miners have died due to asbestos related cancer in the past couple of decades.

On Monday, the Sierra Club and Save Lake Superior Association filed a suit seeking fines of $32, 500 per day against Northshore.

(Source: Post-Bulletin)

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