EFFECT OF MINING

WHERE IT IS IN MINNESOTA

• Taconite is mined from the Mesabi Iron Range, near Hibbing, MN. Then it is processed and moved from Duluth to ports and steel mills around the Great Lakes region.

HOW IT IS USED

• Iron is used for many things but it is primarily used for: making many different tools, surgical equipments, and appliances.
• Stainless steel is a common type of steel used in a lot of different products. It is created when iron is combined with other metals. It is used in aircrafts and automobiles.

LAWS AND REGULATIONS

• You have to have your mine inspected every so often by a safety inspector.
• You need a permit to both mine and to own a mine.
• You need approval to relocate roads in the mine.
• Every person mining/producing iron ore must pay an occupation tax.

IMPACTS ON THE ENVIRONMENT

• Fish die because of the acidic water.
• While migrating birds rest in acidic water they become poisoned.
• Pollution from mines has caused the destruction of over 1,000 acres of wet land.

EFFECTS ON HUMANS

• Mining by-products such as arsenic, manganese and thallium, have been shown in high levels to increase the risk of cancer and other illnesses. It is easy for contamination to leak out of a mine into groundwater, making drinking water contaminated and putting our health at risk.

NEWS

• "The company that operates Hibbing Taconite, United Taconite and Northshore Mining in Minnesota posted stronger-than-expected first-quarter sales, as iron ore prices finally began to recover after three years of global weakness." According to the star tribune.

SOURCES

• http://www.taconite.org
• http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/education/geology/digging/taconite.html
• http://www.usesof.net/uses-of-iron.html
• http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/lands_minerals/mn_mining_laws.pdf
• http://www.miningtruth.org/minnesotas-environment/#.WSWQHcs8Kf1
• http://www.startribune.com/iron-ore-industry-recovery-help-cliffs-natural-r...