1
Date:
August
22,
2003
Subject:
Telephone
Conference
Summary
­
EPA
and
representatives
from
the
taconite
industry
From:
Chris
Sarsony,
Alpha­
Gamma
Technologies,
Inc.

To:
Docket
OAR­
2002­
0039
I.
Purpose
The
primary
purpose
of
the
meeting
was
to
discuss
the
Economic
Impact
Analysis
(
EIA)
prepared
by
EPA
at
proposal
and
to
get
clarification
on
the
taconite
industry's
written
comments
on
the
EIA.

II.
Date
April
21,
2003
III.
Attendees
U.
S.
Environmental
Protection
Agency
Steve
Fruh,
OAQPS/
ESD/
MG
Conrad
Chin,
OAQPS/
ESD/
MG
Larry
Sorrels,
OAQPS/
ESD/
ISEG
Taconite
industry
representatives
Don
Ahola,
Empire
Mining
John
Meier,
Cleveland­
Cliffs
Brad
Anderson,
EVTAC
Rhonda
Ross,
Warner
Norcross
&
Judd
Dave
Crouch,
Cleveland­
Cliffs
Larry
Salmela,
U.
S.
Steel
Mr.
Bill
Kubiak
­
U.
S.
Steel
Dave
Skolasinski,
Northshore
Mining
LaTisha
Gietzen,
National
Steel
Andrea
Hayden,
Hibbing
Taconite
Alpha­
Gamma
Technologies,
Inc.

Chris
Sarsony
Chuck
Zukor
OAR­
2002­
0039
IV­
E­
14
2
IV.
Discussion
°
Larry
Sorrels
of
EPA's
Innovative
Strategies
and
Economics
Group
gave
a
presentation
titled
"
Economic
Impact
Analysis
­
Taconite
Iron
Ore
NESHAP."
A
copy
of
this
presentation
is
attached.

°
The
National
Steel
representative
indicated
that
they
are
currently
in
bankruptcy
and
are
being
purchased
by
U.
S.
Steel.
Their
concern
is
whether
their
new
employer
will
spend
the
money
to
upgrade
the
emission
controls
on
the
furnace.
If
they
do
not,
then
470
people
will
be
out
of
work.

°
The
EVTAC
representative
indicated
that
EVTAC
is
shutting
down
for
an
indefinite
duration
because
they
do
not
have
any
taconite
orders.

°
All
of
the
plants
indicated
that
because
steel
is
a
world
market,
anything
that
adds
to
operating
costs
puts
them
at
a
competitive
disadvantage.

°
In
addition,
the
plants
indicated
that
it
is
difficult
to
get
capital
for
upgrades.

°
The
EPA
pointed
out
that
as
serious
as
the
economic
problems
of
the
taconite
industry
are,
they
are
not
the
result
of
the
taconite
NESHAP.
The
EPA
still
has
an
obligation
under
the
Clean
Air
Act
to
regulate
sources
of
hazardous
air
pollutants.
However,
the
EPA
made
it
clear
that
the
Agency
wants
to
minimize
the
impact
of
the
rule
to
the
industry
as
much
as
possible.
