State Rep. Tom Letson, D-Warren, joined two other state-elected officials Wednesday in announcing they sent a letter to Severstal North America Inc. asking the company to resume steel production at its Ohio mills or sell them to a company that will.

''We are disappointed that several Severstal North America facilities in Ohio are standing unused at a time when other companies are expressing interest in utilizing them,'' Letson, state Sen. Jason Wilson, D-Columbiana, and Rep. John Domenick, D-Smithfield, wrote in the letter. ''Our constituents feel the pain of being laid off from your plants, and all concerned would be best served by having these plants operating again and the workers again gainfully employed.''

Other idle Severstal Ohio plants are in Mingo Junction, Martins Ferry and Yorkville.

Severstal North America spokeswoman Bette Kovach reiterated in an e-mail the company's position that it's committed to the U.S. market and will restart facilities when the market returns for their products.

She noted capacity utilization for the company's three active facilities is about 95 percent, but added orders typically decline with the approach of winter.

''We will consider reactivating idle facilities when the market returns for their products and when we are sure that the demand is sustainable,'' she said.

Ed Machingo, president of the 1,000-member United Steelworkers Local 1375, said his members are upset because Severstal is sending the local mill's orders to plants in Dearborn, Mich., and Columbus, Miss., to boost their utilization.

Steelworkers are trying to address that issue because the Dearborn mill is represented by the United Auto Workers, while the Columbus facility is nonunion, he said.

Machingo also said there are parties interested in Severstal Warren but that Russia-based OAO Severstal Chief Executive Officer Alexey Mordashov refuses to sell.

''Our members are upset about this. It's a good thing our lawmakers are taking this stand finally,'' Machingo said.

He noted Trumbull County Commissioner Frank Fuda is the only local elected official who regularly visits the union hall.

Letson said the lawmakers' goal was to remind Severstal about the Mahoning Valley's ''incredible history in metalworking, that we have steelworkers eager to go back to work and that we have what we think is one of the finest continuous casting facilities in the country.''

He said he considers the area lucky to have Severstal as the mill's owner because the company knows how to make steel.

''Our intent was to be encouraging,'' he said. ''When (Severstal) maxes out its facilities, I want us to be next in line.''

Next week will mark the year anniversary of the first wave of layoffs at Severstal Warren, when about 100 United Steelworkers were idled as the economy began to slide amid the worst downturn since the 1930s Great Depression. The mill went totally silent in the spring, putting most of its 1,200-plus hourly and salaried employees out of work.

lringler@tribtoday.com