HAVERHILL — The future of an effort to resurrect the construction of a proposed steel mill at the border of Lawrence and Scioto counties may become clearer after officials meet next week in Portsmouth.

Next Thursday Lawrence County Commissioners plan to meet with Sen. Tom Niehaus, Lawrence Economic Development Corp. officials, Scioto County Commissioners, Southern Ohio Port Authority and representatives from New Steel International Inc., a Franklin-based development company.

“We’re going to discuss the progress of the project,” Commissioner Bill Pratt said.

About three years ago, economic development officials watched the death of the project when Russian steelmaker MMK pulled out. The plan had been to build an electric arc mill on acreage near Haverhill on the Ohio River.

This past June the county commission created the Green-Hamilton Development Oversight Committee, made up of the county’s Port Authority, the LEDC and Southern Ohio Port Authority. The committee was charged with working with New Steel International, the development company that has been in the field marketing that area since 2008.

New Steel International has the official construction permits needed to build the steel mill and supporting industry in about 5,000 acres that could be served by the Ohio River, the N&S railroad and U.S. 52.

LEDC and the Scioto port authority also have a number of EPA air credits needed for such kind of heavy industry.

A possible satellite industry could come with the location of a German-based foundry that Pratt said forges 200-ton single pieces of steel, mainly used in nuclear power plants.

That company needs to know the status of the overall project by April 30, Pratt said.

“The beauty (of the project) is that it creates some jobs,” Bill Dingus, executive director of the LEDC, said. “If you have a source of steel, then there will be so many opportunities for additional kinds of industry. People don’t realize the amount of steel being imported. We need to move into manufacturing. This is a win-win for us in Lawrence County.”

Pratt estimated the project could bring in 2,500 jobs to the area.

The meeting will be at 9:30 a.m. Thursday at the Scioto County Courthouse in Portsmouth, the regularly scheduled date for the Lawrence County Commission. Commissioners will meet at 9:30 a.m. Friday for their weekly meeting.