SunCoke is buying Lakeshore for a proposed price of $29.6 million.

The miner and coke-maker signed an agreement in principle with Lakeshore to take over all assets, business operations and specified liabilities in an all-cash deal.

Pending a definitive agreement and the satisfaction of customer conditions, the transaction should close by the end of next month, officials said.

Beemsterboer-owned Lakeshore, in East Chicago, Indiana, provides SunCoke coal-handling and blending services at the producer’s 1.22-million-ton-per-annum capacity Indiana Harbor coke-making operations.

“The acquisition of Lakeshore is consistent with our overall vision to grow SXCP by increasing our presence across the steel value chain,” chairman and CEO Fritz Henderson said.

“We expect this acquisition will be immediately accretive to SXCP's cashflows and earnings, supporting future increases in distributable cashflow per unit.”

SXCP said it intended to maintain Lakeshore's operations as well as its staff.

Distributable cashflow per unit as a result of the deal is expected to increase by about 6% on an annualized basis.

The miner has also agreed to pay $1.99 million to resolve alleged Clear Air Act violations of emission limits at the Gateway Energy and Coke Plant in Granite City, Illinois, and the Haverhill Coke plant in Frankline Furnace, Ohio.

Those companies will pay a penalty of $1.27 million to the federal government, $575,000 to the state of Illinois and $150,000 to the state of Ohio. The states were co-plaintiffs with the EPA and DoJ in the case.

The companies will also spend $255,000 on an abatement project in southern Illinois to reduce lead hazards in owner-occupied, low-income residences, with priority given to families with young children or pregnant women.

“The substantial upgrades required by today’s settlement will reduce air pollution that can harm public health and the environment,” DPA Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance assistant administrator Cynthia Giles said.

Acting assistant attorney-general Robert Dreher called the settlement was good news for the Illinois and Ohio communities.

SunCoke president and COO Mike Thompson said the company was pleased to reach the agreement over the two sites.