Attorneys representing Big River Steel are asking a judge to throw out a federal lawsuit that seeks to stop the construction of a $1.3 billion mill in northeast Arkansas.
In court papers filed Friday, Big River Steel called the lawsuit filed by competitor Nucor Steel "a scorched-earth campaign." Nucor alleges that Big River Steel's new mill in Mississippi County will violate the federal Clean Air Act.
Big River Steel broke ground last month on the new mill, which is expected to employ more than 500 people once it's operational. Construction is expected to take about two years.
In Friday's court filing, Big River Steel argues that Nucor can't allege that the new mill violates the Clean Air Act because it's not up and running yet.