Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works (MMK) is one step closer to purchasing land needed to start construction of its proposed $1 billion dollar steel plant in Haverhill. The company, through New Steel International, submitted land new land surveys of the proposed land to the Scioto County Engineer for review.

"We have checked some of the surveys for closer. They just sent them for record. We called and asked what we wanted to do with them. They said they were sending them to us for pre-approval for description," Craig Opperman, Scioto County Engineer said.

The office is checking the documents for closer and making sure they are meeting state requirements for boundary closer.

They are checking the documents to see if they are new descriptions to revised.

In this case the company is submitting the documents for pre approval. Once the documents leave the engineers office they will go back to the attorney involved.

"If someone is having something resurveyed, this is a necessary step, although it's not a necessary step for construction," Opperman said.

This process is a necessary step before property is transferred from one owner to another.

For the pre-approval process, it could take as long as seven days for the County Engineer's office.

"From what our understanding is, the surveys of the site are a part of New Steel's due diligence and over all site review for the land of the project. This is something they want to make sure they have accurate surveys of the land before moving forward, that is what our understanding about what this is. We are still very optimistic about the project moving forward and are still having active conversations with them," Kelly Schlissberg, Ohio Department of Development spokeswoman, said.