Cliffs Coal Operations Awarded Environmental Management Certification

North American Coal Mines Complete ISO 14001 Certification

CLEVELAND, Feb. 4, 2013 /CNW/ -- Cliffs Natural Resources Inc. (NYSE: CLF) (Paris: CLF) announced that its North American Coal operations have been ISO 14001 certified. The Environmental Management System (EMS) certification has been awarded to Pinnacle Mining Company and Cliffs Logan County Coal in West Virginia. In addition, Oak Grove Resources, located near Birmingham, Ala., was recently recommended for ISO 14001 certification.

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ISO 14001 is the internationally recognized standard for Environmental Management Systems (EMS) designed to deliver world-class performance. The Company indicated that the management standard will assist the operations in adhering to good environmental practices, conservation of input materials and energy, attainment of necessary permits and authorizations, and being socially responsible.

"Environmental stewardship is a Cliffs' core value and this achievement is an illustration of our commitment to responsible, safe and sustainable coal operations," stated David Webb, Senior Vice President, Global Coal Operations for Cliffs Natural Resources Inc. "The implementation of EMS standards is our proactive approach to manage environmental impacts with rigor and continuous improvement."

Pinnacle Mining Company, LLC, Oak Grove Resources, LLC and Cliffs Logan County Coal are subsidiaries of Cliffs Natural Resources Inc.

About Cliffs Natural Resources Inc.

Cliffs Natural Resources Inc. is an international mining and natural resources company. A member of the S&P 500 Index, the Company is a major global iron ore producer and a significant producer of high- and low-volatile metallurgical coal. Cliffs' strategy is to continually achieve greater scale and diversification in the mining industry through a focus on serving the world's largest and fastest growing steel markets. Driven by the core values of social, environmental and capital stewardship, Cliffs associates across the globe endeavor to provide all stakeholders operating and financial transparency.

The Company is organized through a global commercial group responsible for sales and delivery of Cliffs' products and a global operations group responsible for the production of the minerals the Company markets. Cliffs operates iron ore and coal mines in North America and an iron ore mining complex in Western Australia. In addition, Cliffs has a major chromite project, in the feasibility stage of development, located in Ontario, Canada.

News releases and other information on the Company are available on the Internet at:
http://www.cliffsnaturalresources.com.

SOURCE: Cliffs Natural Resources Inc.

Jessica Moran, Director, Investor Relations, [phone], or Patricia Persico, Director, Global Communications, [phone]; or local: Jim Kosowski, District Manager of Public Affairs, [phone], [email protected], or Ryan Thorn, Public Affairs Associate, [phone], [email protected]

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