Bethlehem Steel Corporation
For Immediate Release

BETHLEHEM, Pa., August 16, 2000 -- In response to media inquiries concerning information being distributed about a steelmaking incident that occurred last week at Bethlehem Steel Corporation's Sparrows Point, Md., Division, the following information is being provided by Bethlehem Steel:

On August 7, the No. 2 vessel at Sparrows Point's basic oxygen furnace experienced a burn out of a portion of its refractory brick. As a result, repairs to the vessel are now under way that will take about three weeks. While the vessel is being repaired, the division will also replace all refractory brick, work that was scheduled for early 2001 but is being performed now while the vessel is out of service. The vessel repair will not affect shipments.

Steel needs for the division's finishing facilities are being met by the No. 1 vessel at the BOF shop as well as inventory that was rolled this spring in anticipation of a normal ramp up of the wide slab caster. That $60-million capital project experienced an extremely smooth start up with the overall steelmaking shop producing at near-record levels in July.