Mittal to re-start downed furnace late July

Mittal Steel USA has told press it expects its “L” blast furnace at Sparrow's Point to return to full operation by late July. The furnace has been shut down since June 23, when an electrical failure led to distribution problems inside the furnace, resulting in a release of molten iron. The month-long shutdown was needed for extensive cleanup and repairs. The company has projected it will have lost about 250,000 net tons of iron production as a result of the shutdown.