Otelu Rosu, Romania – August 27, 2008 – Mechel OAO (NYSE: MTL), one of the leading Russian mining and metals companies, announces it is launching a gas cleaning system in the arc furnace shop of its Otelu Rosu facility at Ductil Steel, a Romanian company acquired by Mechel in April 2008.

Commissioning of the gas cleaning system was timed with the celebration of Metallurgist Day in Romania and represents one more step in implementing the equipment modernization program at Mechel’s Romanian facilities. Ensuring a safe environment at the facilities is one of the priorities of the program.

The gas cleaning system has been supplied by Italian-based Tecoaer Company, and meets the highest demands on machinery and technologies. The total amount of investments into the project is ˆ12 million ($17.5 million).

The equipment capacity totals 2,000,000 cubic meters per hour. Operation of the new system will reduce dust emissions into the air to 5 mg per cubic meter, well below the maximum dust emission of 10 mg per cubic meter allowed under European standards.

Furthermore, the gas cleaning system contains automation equipment and devices for transportation of retained dust. The contract also covers services for basic engineering, installation supervision and technical support. Other Romanian companies that participated in this project included ICSH Hunedoara and Mechel Proiectare Bucuresti, each of which provided design, installation and other services.

Deployment of the new gas cleaning system will improve working conditions for Otelu Rosu employees and decrease environmental impact. Ensuring a safe environment and improved working conditions at production sites is one of the primary goals for implementing technical renovation projects in all of Mechel’s facilities. Similar equipment installations have already been instituted at some of the Company's other subsidiaries, including: Mechel Targoviste (Romania) and the Bratsk and Tikhvin Ferroalloy plants.