US Steel’s Minntac iron ore mine and pellet processing plant in Minnesota will increase production after curbing pellet production at the facility in May, according to local news reports.
The company said in a letter to members of United Steelworkers Local 1938 that production lines 6 and 7 will start making pellets again the week of July 26, and maintenance employees will be recalled from layoffs starting the week of July 5. The mine will reportedly return to full operation in late August, but the company did not say how many of the mine’s 260 laid off workers will be recalled.
US Steel spokesperson Amanda Malkowski told local news the ramp-up in production is one month ahead of the planned restart. The Minntac mine has the capacity to produce 16 million net tons of pellets per year.
US Steel’s Keetac mine and pellet plant in Keewatin remains idled.