Court Hears Environmental Challenge to New Mill's Air Permit
10/29/2015 - An Arkansas, USA, appeals court is weighing whether a state agency properly issued an air emissions permit for Big River Steel’s new “flex” mill that’s now under construction, according to reports.
On 28 October, attorneys for rival steelmaker Nucor Corp. told the Arkansas Court of Appeals that the state shouldn’t have granted the permit, arguing that the plant won’t meet air quality requirements. They also argued that Big River misrepresented the plant’s ability to meet those requirements.
Big River, however, denied those accusations and told the court that Nucor’s challenges were an attempt to stifle a competitor.
“When an appeal is brought based not on legal principle but out of competitive instinct, the arguments advanced in support of that appeal very typically skew materially away from sound reason and settled law,” Big River attorney Michael Montgomery said, according to the Associated Press.
“And that is very much the case here today.”
The mill, developed by the late steel industry executive John Correnti, will be capable of producing 1.6 million tons of steel per year. Big River has said the mill is unique in that it will be able to offer the products of an integrated mill, but incorporate the flexibility and technological innovations of a mini-mill.
Expected to cost US$1.3 billion, the mill is to start production in the spring 2016.
The court might rule on the case in less than a month, according to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette newspaper.
Big River, however, denied those accusations and told the court that Nucor’s challenges were an attempt to stifle a competitor.
“When an appeal is brought based not on legal principle but out of competitive instinct, the arguments advanced in support of that appeal very typically skew materially away from sound reason and settled law,” Big River attorney Michael Montgomery said, according to the Associated Press.
“And that is very much the case here today.”
The mill, developed by the late steel industry executive John Correnti, will be capable of producing 1.6 million tons of steel per year. Big River has said the mill is unique in that it will be able to offer the products of an integrated mill, but incorporate the flexibility and technological innovations of a mini-mill.
Expected to cost US$1.3 billion, the mill is to start production in the spring 2016.
The court might rule on the case in less than a month, according to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette newspaper.
