The two principal concerns of opponents to the proposed $4 billion aluminum smelter that would be built at the Port of Inola are allegations of environmental hazards and reduction in the quality of life. The opponents include several residents of Inola and the surrounding area, along with several state legislators and the state attorney general.
Senate Resolution 45, introduced in the state Senate on April 27, alleged that the Oklahoma Primary Aluminum project “raises substantial concerns regarding potential emissions of fluorides, particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, “and other smelting-related byproducts that may affect public health, property use, agriculture, and quality of life.”
A “Stop the Inola Smelter” group lobbied state legislators at the Capitol in April, collected 2,000 signatures on petitions opposing the project, and “reportedly obtained more than 1,600 followers on social media,” the resolution related.
The resolution was endorsed by eight lawmakers but was never brought up for a floor vote and died on the vine. Among the signatories was Sen. Dusty Deevers, an Elgin Republican who ran lost in his bid last month for a second term.
A.G. Gentner Drummond, too, claimed that “fluoride emissions, particulate matter, perfluorocarbons, spent potliner, and process wastewater that the world’s aluminum smelters are notorious for producing” would be hazardous to residents and livestock in the region.
Thomas Harrington, a chemical engineer who owns a house in Inola, said that because of his work for Midstream Oil and Gas and for Zeeco in Tulsa, he has experience in regulatory emissions control.
Harrington said that after he reviewed public records for the smelter and, after some calculations that factored in the Inola facility’s large size, he believes the proposed plant would allow twice the amount of hydrogen fluoride emissions as the most sophisticated smelters in the world, which are in Norway.
One Claremore resident referred to “documented studies from comparable facilities show that literally tons of pollutants will be emitted into our air, water and land.” The woman referred to a 1979 study which showed that a herd of cattle exposed to tons of fluoride each year “dropped dead within a 5-mile radius.”
Several of those who attended the Inola meeting commented on “legacy” aluminum smelters that were constructed decades ago. The last time a new aluminum smelter was built in the U.S. was nearly 50 years ago, records reflect. Most were built between 1950 and 1980, Assistant U.S.
Secretary of Energy Audrey Robertson said during an exclusive interview with The Constitution.
“Would the emissions from a Ford truck in 1975 be the same as a Tesla today?” she asked. “No. And you can’t compare apples and oranges that way. We’re in a different era.” Technology has advanced in the last five decades.
Century Aluminum was sued in 2023 by residents near its South Carolina smelter, who alleged that emissions caused health problems such as headaches and nosebleeds. The lawsuit claimed the plant released “substantial quantities” of chemical dust after repeated failures of its emissions control system.
The company denied the allegations but settled the case last year by paying more than $940,000 to 719 property owners, The Frontier news outlet reported.
Additionally, the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services fined Century Aluminum more than $360,000 for multiple years of air pollution violations and for failing to submit required inspection reports, according to The Frontier. The company attributed those issues to premature equipment failures, which it said were resolved immediately, and said the new Inola plant will use upgraded technology to avoid similar issues.
Why would the United States partner with a foreign company to build an aluminum smelter in Oklahoma?
Because Emirates Global Aluminium based in the United Arab Emirates is “the only company in the world that has built a greenfield aluminum smelter outside of China in the last decade,” Robertson said. “They are absolutely leading the world in clean technology, in closed-loop technology, and in filtration technology.”
And even though the Inola Board of Trustees approved a 60-day moratorium on the project, the company is “moving forward” with its plans, Ziad Fares, the director for the project known as Oklahoma Primary Aluminum, told The Constitution.
The proposed aluminum smelter is critical, Robertson said. “This isn’t going to happen in a day, a month, or 12 months. Once they get through the permitting process, it’s probably going to be a two-year build. This has been in process for two years already.”
An environmental review “was triggered months ago and is actively underway through the permitting process overseen by the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality,” Oklahoma Primary Aluminum wrote in a state issued in early June.
“This process is required under state and federal law and is designed to protect people, livestock, and vegetation near the proposed plant. There will be state and federal oversight at every stage – not just during the permit application stage.”
10th generation of technology
The proposed plant “will be the most modern in the world, using the latest technology from EGA – which has advanced through 10 technology generations,” the Oklahoma Primary Aluminum statement continued.
The facility will use “realtime emissions monitoring, enclosed material handling, and specific environmental safeguards – all designed to protect workers’ neighbors, farms, and wildlife.”
Emirates Global Aluminum is a global leader, with innovations that significantly reduce electricity use per ton when compared with legacy technologies, boosting efficiency and sustainability. The new facility will be modern and highly controlled, with multiple environmental safeguards in place, including: Enclosed potlines with advanced hooding systems. Production units will be covered and fitted with ventilation hoods that capture and filter gases and dust at the source, similar to how a kitchen stove hood traps steam and smoke.
Scrubbing systems, which act like giant air filters that remove gases and dust from exhaust, similar to how a vacuum cleaner traps dust so it doesn’t blow back into the room.
Emissions monitoring systems. These are automated instruments that track emissions, like air quality, ensuring emissions remain within strict U.S. limits. These systems and related emissions are subject to a rigorous permit review process at the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality.
Energy-efficient EX smelting technology that reduces emissions and energy use while producing more aluminum per unit of energy, making the process cleaner and more efficient.
Advanced storage and transport of raw materials. All materials are kept in enclosed storage areas, silos, and covered conveyor belts preventing dust from escaping and protecting the surrounding community.
“This will be the lowestemitting smelter in the world based on best available technology, which is what the company will use,” Inola Town Administrator Scott Devers told Oklahoma Watch, after several meetings with representatives of the aluminum plant proposal.
Opponents of the Oklahoma Primary Aluminum plant “have cloaked their argument with environmental concerns,” Devers said. “They’re using the environmental thing as a crutch, in my opinion.”
John Budd, director of the state Commerce Department, told those attending a June 29 public meeting in Inola that “nothing is more important to me than two things: creating opportunities for my children and making sure they’re safe. I don’t believe those are competing values.”