Local media reported on Monday that Sparrows Point, Maryland-based steelmaker RG Steel had to idle its blast furnace at its Warren, Ohio facility over the weekend after a piece of equipment failed. A "break out" occurred on the furnace allowing molten material to flow out of a hole. The exact piece that malfunctioned is a tuyere--which is used to force air into the furnace. The impact is believed to be minimal because RG Steel has a supply of steel products.
A letter issued to customers from RG Steel states: "After a thorough investigation by our operating personnel, the incident over the weekend does not appear to be as serious as initially thought. Therefore we expect to have the area cleaned up and repaired over the next few days, and expect to have wind back on the blast furnace by February 26."