Big River Steel, Indian Tribe To Meet Regarding Site Location

The $1.1 billion Big River Steel Mill will be located on a large industrial site in Mississippi County near Osceola, but project leaders still have at least one land hurdle to clear.

A portion of the site contains the remains of a Quapaw Indian settlement and artifacts and the groups will meet this week privately to work out a deal. Developers for Big River Steel contend that they have no intention of developing the portion of the land involving the settlement.

From Rob Moritz with our content partner, the Arkansas News Bureau:

A meeting between state officials and representatives from the Quapaw Tribe of Oklahoma to discuss an Indian site near the planned $1.1 billion Big River Steel mill is set for this week but will not be open to the public, a spokesman for the Arkansas Economic Development Commission said Monday.

The site was discovered recently as Mississippi County officials were preparing for construction of the the plant near Osceola.

AEDC spokesman Joe Holmes said agency director Grant Tennille, Cliff Chitwood, president of the Great River Economic Development in Mississippi County and the state archaeologist will meet with officials of the Quapaw Tribe of Oklahoma on Wednesday in Osceola.

Commission members will not attend the meeting, Holmes said, adding the meeting does not fall under the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act.

“There’s nothing in the law that requires it to be open,” Holmes said. “This is not a meeting of a board or commissioners. From our standpoint this is Grant Tennille doing his job. … This is one of the many processes you have to do to get this deal.”

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