Oklahoma AG Moves to Block $4 Billion Inola Aluminum Smelter Before Moratorium Expires

Attorney General Gentner Drummond filed for a preliminary injunction Tuesday, escalating a legal fight over what would be the largest primary aluminum plant ever built in the United States.

Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond filed a motion for a preliminary injunction Tuesday to block construction of an aluminum smelting complex in Inola.

The filing in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma comes weeks before a municipal moratorium on new industrial construction expires on Aug. 28.

In late June, the Inola City Council passed the 60-day moratorium following public outcry against the project. Drummond, who is also a Republican gubernatorial candidate, wants to halt the project while his lawsuit against the smelter proceeds.

'At a minimum, Oklahomans are entitled to fully vet the project, including the environmental impacts as well as ownership and governance ties,' Drummond stated in the motion.

What the Project Involves

The smelter project is a joint venture between Century Aluminum and Emirates Global Aluminium, a state-owned enterprise of the United Arab Emirates. It would be the largest primary aluminum plant in United States history, covering 633 acres along the Verdigris River with a projected capacity of more than 750,000 metric tons of aluminum every year.

Why the Environmental Stakes Are High

Environmental stakes are high for the large industrial project. In expert testimony filed with Drummond's motion, engineer and environmental consultant Ranajit Sahu projected the facility would emit at least 87,182 tons of carbon monoxide and 425 tons of total fluoride compounds every year.

'The proposed plant would not only be the highest fluoride emitter among the seven primary aluminum plants reflected in the most recent National Emissions Inventory data for the U.S., it would also rank as the highest-emitting plant considering all industrial plants across all industries in the U.S.,' Sahu said.

While some fluoride exists naturally in the environment, high levels of environmental fluoride stunt plant growth and poison wildlife.

The project holds backing from Governor Kevin Stitt and President Donald Trump, who views the facility as a priority to double national aluminum production. Funding includes a $500 million federal grant, a $255 million state incentive package and a tax-increment-financing district created by the City of Inola.

Community Opposition

During a June City Council meeting in Inola, residents wearing shirts proclaiming 'Stop the Inola Smelter' brought in legal representation to propose the moratorium draft.

Trevor Henson, an attorney with Tulsa firm Barrow and Grimm, told the council his team modeled the proposal after Tulsa's recent data center moratorium.

'There is obviously a significant amount of concern about the smelter,' Henson said, noting that community anxiety extends to the impact of other heavy industrial operations in the area.

'I think it's unfortunate that this group here has to deal with decisions that have been made by places elsewhere,' he said.

During that June council meeting, Henson pointed to Drummond's lawsuit, which includes descriptions of health, safety and welfare risks tied to the smelter. The planned facility would be built in close proximity to residential areas and schools.

Political Ties

The debate over the smelter has bled into state politics.

During the Aug. 3 Republican gubernatorial runoff debate, moderators asked candidate Mike Mazzei about his brother's engineering firm, Wallace Design Collective, suggesting it was involved in designing the smelter.

Fact-checks later showed the firm's contract covers an expansion for a nearby Sofidel tissue paper plant. Brad Thurman, principal and chief marketing officer for the firm, told The Journal Record that there is no connection to the smelter.

'Wallace Design Collective has not submitted a proposal to the Town of Inola regarding the smelter project in any way, competitive or otherwise,' Thurman said. 'Our contract for special inspection services is for the Sofidel plant.'

A wider argument over foreign investment from the United Arab Emirates was also discussed in the debate. Mazzei spokeswoman Carissa Mazzei told The Journal Record the attorney general's motion was unsurprising.

'Nobody is surprised that Gentner Drummond is using his taxpayer-funded office to undermine an America First project backed by President Trump,' Carissa Mazzei said.

What Happens Next

Separately from this week's injunction motion, Drummond is also fighting a bid by the smelter owners to move his original state-court lawsuit into federal court.

Courtesy: www.journalrecord.com