146  FLORIDA—1992Metals 
 
 Iron and Steel.—Tampa and 
Jacksonville were the sites of Florida 
Steel Corp.'s two minimills. The two 
mills had an aggregate annual capacity of 
547,000 metric tons (603,000 short tons). 
 
 M*inend Sands.—RGC (USA) Minerals Sand Inc. and Du Pont recovered
mineral sands by dredging properties at Green Cove Springs and Trail Ridge.
The dredges and associated wet mills produced a concentrate that was trucked
to the dry mills for the recovery of monazite, titanium, and zirconium concentrates.

 Du Pont began operating its new 1 ,905-metric-ton-per-hour (2,100-shortton-per-hour)
"Sandpiper" dredge manufactured by Ellicott Machine Corp. of Baltimore.
It
is the largest cutter suction dredge in use for mining in North America.
The new dredge, in operation near Maxwell, will increase production by 50
% and extend mine life to the year 
2010. 
 
 Rare Earths.—RGC recovered rare earth as a byproduct of monazite
during
processing for titanium and zirconium minerals. The company was one of three
in the United States that produced rare earths in 1992. Production declined
57% from that of 1991.~ 
 
Titanium Concentrates.—RGC and ~ Du Pont recovered mineral sand
concentrates
containing rutile, ilmenite, and leucoxene. The concentrates were marketed
to producers of titanium dioxide pigments and synthetic rutile. 
 
 Zirconia Concentrates.—Both mineral sand producers recovered a
zircon
concentrate from their dredging operations. The product, sold to grinding
plants for processing, was used by the ceramic, refractory, and foundry industries.

 
 
 iState Mineral Officer, U.S. Bureau of Mines, Tuscaloosa, AL He has 33 years
of mineral-related industry and goveniment experience and has covered the
mineral activities in florida since 1989. Assistance in the 
preparation of the chapter was given by Maylene E. Hubbard, editorial assistant

 ' State geologist and chief, florida Geological Survey, Tallahassee, FL

 ' Geologist, FloridaGeologicalSurvey,Tallahassee, FL 
 4The Ledger. EPA Eases Rules on GypsumUse. June 
4, 1992. 
 ' Florida Environments. Several Enviro Bills Passed This Session, Some Pending.
Apr. 1992. 
 6FloridaAgriculture. Getting OutoftheClassroomand Into Agriculture. Aug.
1, 1992. 
 ' The Lake Wales Highlander. Federal land Hearing Setin PolkCounty. Oct.
1, 1992. 
 "Mining engineering. Industrial Minerals 1992—Rare Earths.
June 1993,
p. 582.