Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Sued by Environmental Group

"An environmental group sued the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources on Monday over what it called a deficient environmental study for a proposed new steel plant in northern Minnesota.

The Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy (MCEA) claims that the 400-page study needs to include information about global warming gases that will be produced to power the planned Minnesota Steel plant in Nashwauk.

MCEA attorney Kevin Reuther said that the $1.6 billion taconite mine-to-steel plant will require 450 megawatts of electricity -- equivalent to a medium-sized coal-burning power plant. That would produce 5 million tons of carbon dioxide gas per year, he said, a 13 percent increase in industrial emissions at a time when the state's goal is to reduce global warming gases 15 percent from 2005 levels by 2015 and 80 percent by 2050.

"The final EIS [study] does not analyze the greenhouse gas emissions from the proposed Minnesota Steel Project, evaluate any alternatives, or consider any mitigation measures that would reduce or eliminate the project's significant contribution to increased greenhouse gas emissions," according to the complaint, which was filed in Itasca County District Court.

A DNR spokesman said that top agency officials have not seen the lawsuit yet, but will be reviewing it this week. The agency is required to respond to the complaint within 20 days."

TOM MEERSMAN