Tornadoes, carbon monoxide take toll on Cliffs’ 2011 coal production

Cliffs Natural Resources announced Thursday it will reduce its outlook from 6.5 million tons of coal this year to 5.1 million tons, citing severe weather damage at its Oak Grove mine in Alabama and carbon monoxide hazards in its Pinnacle mine in West Virginia.

The company also said its newly acquired Bloom Lake operation will yield 4.8 million tons of iron ore concentrate this year.