Key facts
- A proposed $4 billion aluminum smelter project in Inola, Oklahoma, faces local opposition.
- The Inola City Council extended a moratorium on smelter permits through April 2027 and will hold a referendum on the project.
- Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond opposes the project and filed a lawsuit to block it.
- The project's developers, Emirates Global Aluminium and Century Aluminum, plan to reduce fluoride emissions by 37%.
- The smelter would produce 750,000 metric tons of aluminum per year.
A significant hurdle for Donald Trump's proposed aluminum smelter project in Inola, Oklahoma, was cleared in late August when Mike Mazzei, who supports the construction, won the Republican nomination for governor. However, the $4 billion project faces continued opposition from local residents and regulatory challenges.
The Inola City Council voted unanimously on September 14 to extend a moratorium on smelter permits through April 2027 and to hold a referendum on whether the smelter should be built. This decision came after some residents expressed strong opposition, with one suggesting the smelter be built at Trump's Mar-a-Lago club.
Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, who opposes the project due to environmental concerns, filed a lawsuit in June to block it. His opponent in the Republican primary, former state Senator Mike Mazzei, initially opposed the project but shifted his stance after Trump endorsed him. Mazzei won the runoff election by less than a percentage point.
Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) and Century Aluminum attempted to move Drummond's lawsuit to federal court, citing aluminum's importance to national security, and the US Justice Department commented in support of the project. However, a federal judge ruled that the case should remain in state court.
Governor Kevin Stitt, who is term-limited, suggested the Port of Inola industrial park could be moved outside city limits to bypass the Inola council's jurisdiction, though state law may require local approval for such a move. EGA and Century Aluminum expressed disappointment with the moratorium extension and the decision to hold a referendum, stating it undermines due process and exposes Inola taxpayers to financial and legal risks. The companies also announced plans to reduce fluoride emissions from the proposed smelter by 37% and will release an economic impact study soon.