U.S. steelmaker Nucor Corp. was contesting the permit issued to Big River Steel’s so-called flex mill, arguing that, among other things, Big River misrepresented the new mill’s ability to meet emissions standards.

The mill is being built close to an existing Nucor mill, and Nucor had also argued that the addition of a steel plant in such close proximity could impact the environment.

The court, however, upheld the decision to issue the permit.

According to the Times Record newspaper, Nucor first appealed to the Arkansas Pollution Control and Ecology Commission, which rejected the challenge. Nucor then appealed to the Mississippi County Circuit Court, and the case was transferred to the Court of Appeals.

“Today’s decision is yet another in a long line of rulings in support of Big River Steel,” Mark Bula, Big River’s chief commercial officer, said in a statement to the Associated Press.  

“Our focus remains on the ongoing construction of our state-of-the-art flex mill and the installation of our industry-leading equipment.”

The plant is to come on-line sometime by the end of 2016.