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We invite you to comment on the draft wastewater permit for the US Steel Corp - MN Ore Operations - Minntac Tailings Basin.
U.S. Steel Corp. operates a taconite mine, processing plant and tailings basin known as Minntac in Mountain Iron, Minnesota. Minntac produces taconite pellets for use at iron and steel mills. The draft NPDES permit for the tailings basin facility covers approximately 8,700 acres (13.6 square miles). This includes the tailings basin, Minntac’s wastewater disposal systems, and the surrounding landscape that drains to the basin. This drainage area includes Minntac’s concentrator, agglomerator, sewage treatment plant, lube storage area, a substation, the plant area reservoir, part of the crushing facilities, and part of a stockpile area. An average of 22 million long tons of dry fine tailings, and 15 million long tons of dry course tailings are disposed of each year in the tailings basin.
The draft permit includes the following significant changes from the previous (expired) permit:
determination that the tailings basin is functionally equivalent to a direct discharge to surface water
addition of interim and final sulfate effluent limits for surface water and groundwater
sulfate compliance schedules with accompanying major milestones
addition of a total phosphorus limit
addition of 10 new groundwater monitoring stations and three new surface water monitoring stations
Wastewater from industrial and commercial sources may contain pollutants at levels that could adversely affect the water quality in area wetlands, streams, rivers, and lakes. Water quality permits - or National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits - establish specific limits and requirements to protect Minnesota's surface and groundwater quality. All wastewater must be treated before it goes into surface water to protect human health and aquatic life. Permits are regularly reviewed and updated as they expire, allowing the MPCA to incorporate new information about the impacts of pollutants on the environment in future permits.
We invite you to comment on the draft wastewater permit for the US Steel Corp - MN Ore Operations - Minntac Tailings Basin.
U.S. Steel Corp. operates a taconite mine, processing plant and tailings basin known as Minntac in Mountain Iron, Minnesota. Minntac produces taconite pellets for use at iron and steel mills. The draft NPDES permit for the tailings basin facility covers approximately 8,700 acres (13.6 square miles). This includes the tailings basin, Minntac’s wastewater disposal systems, and the surrounding landscape that drains to the basin. This drainage area includes Minntac’s concentrator, agglomerator, sewage treatment plant, lube storage area, a substation, the plant area reservoir, part of the crushing facilities, and part of a stockpile area. An average of 22 million long tons of dry fine tailings, and 15 million long tons of dry course tailings are disposed of each year in the tailings basin.
The draft permit includes the following significant changes from the previous (expired) permit:
determination that the tailings basin is functionally equivalent to a direct discharge to surface water
addition of interim and final sulfate effluent limits for surface water and groundwater
sulfate compliance schedules with accompanying major milestones
addition of a total phosphorus limit
addition of 10 new groundwater monitoring stations and three new surface water monitoring stations
Wastewater from industrial and commercial sources may contain pollutants at levels that could adversely affect the water quality in area wetlands, streams, rivers, and lakes. Water quality permits - or National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits - establish specific limits and requirements to protect Minnesota's surface and groundwater quality. All wastewater must be treated before it goes into surface water to protect human health and aquatic life. Permits are regularly reviewed and updated as they expire, allowing the MPCA to incorporate new information about the impacts of pollutants on the environment in future permits.
