A plan to reduce pollution from taconite plants in northern Minnesota has industry officials up in arms. The Environmental Protection Agency has stepped in to regulate sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides emmissions, a job state agencies have not been able to enforce. Taconite industry officials say the tougher regulations are unavailable and too-expensive.

Output at the half-dozen taconite plants in the state is up more than ten percent compared to a year ago. And the forecast for next year suggests production could be the highest in more than a decade.

The Pollution Control Agency is forwarding its plan to cut the haze over federal lands in northeastern Minnesota to the Environmental Protection Agency. The plan would tighten emissions rules at taconite processing plants and coal-fired power plants. Some environmental groups think the changes don't go far enough.

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency signed off on a plan to dump more than 13 tons of taconite concentrate into Rush Lake. The lake association wants to reduce the level of phosphorus, which leads to growth of algae and invasive pondweed. It hopes the taconite experiment will do the trick. Audubon Minnesota had argued for an environmental review.