Cleveland-Cliffs' Babbitt Mine Receives Sentinels of Safety Award

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CLEVELAND--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Cleveland-Cliffs Inc (NYSE: CLF), which will be renamed Cliffs Natural Resources in the coming months, announced today that its wholly owned Northshore Mining-Babbitt Mine in Silver Bay, Minn., has been recognized for outstanding safety performance in 2007 with the industry's coveted Sentinels of Safety Award. Cliffs' Babbitt Mine received the award in the Large Open Pit category.

The Sentinels of Safety Award was initiated in 1925, making it the oldest established award that recognizes occupational safety. The annual awards program, sponsored jointly by the U.S. Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) and the National Mining Association (NMA), is dedicated to recognition of exceptional safety records, achieved through development of more effective accident-prevention programs, among the nation's mineral extractive industries. Eligibility for the award is contingent upon achieving the greatest number of employee workhours without a fatal injury or an injury that results in lost workdays.

"Cliffs' Northshore Mining-Babbitt Mine, which achieved more than 366,000 employee hours without MSHA-reportable incident in 2007, has consistently demonstrated its commitment to employee safety. We are all very proud of our employees' accomplishments and this well-deserved recognition," said Donald J. Gallagher, Cliffs' president, North American Business Unit. "Northshore's achievement is also a testament to Cliffs' ongoing commitment to eliminating all injuries, which is embodied in the Company's 'Road to Zero' safety campaign."

"Our Company strives for an environment free of incidents through rigorous employee training and education programs," said Joseph A. Carrabba, Cliffs' chairman, president and chief executive officer. "Safe production is a Cliffs core value and a very important part of our Company's culture. We are proud that our Babbitt operation has achieved this quintessential mine safety award and look forward to its continued success, as well as that of our other operations."

Northshore qualified for the Sentinels of Safety Award in 2005 and was first runner-up in 2001 and 2002.

ABOUT CLEVELAND-CLIFFS INC

Cleveland-Cliffs Inc, headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, is an international mining company, the largest producer of iron ore pellets in North America and a major supplier of metallurgical coal to the global steelmaking industry. The Company operates six iron ore mines in Michigan, Minnesota and Eastern Canada, and three coking coal mines in West Virginia and Alabama. Cleveland-Cliffs also owns 85% of Portman Limited, a large iron ore mining company in Australia, serving the Asian iron ore markets with direct-shipping fines and lump ore. In addition, the Company has a 30% interest in the Amapa Project, a Brazilian iron ore project, and a 45% economic interest in the Sonoma Project, an Australian coking and thermal coal project.

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    Source: Cleveland-Cliffs Inc

Released September 24, 2008