Oklahoma – Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt is criticizing Inola officials after the town extended a moratorium on development tied to a proposed primary aluminum facility, warning that changing the rules during a multi-year permitting process could undermine confidence among companies considering major investments in the state.
Stitt said the project has been the result of more than a decade of planning involving the city, Public Service Company of Oklahoma, the Tulsa Ports Authority and state and federal funding.
“For more than a decade, this has been a locally led effort,” Stitt said, pointing to PSO’s preparations for industrial growth beginning in 2014, Inola’s 2017 zoning of the area for heavy industrial use and the Port Authority’s development of the industrial park beginning in 2019.
Stitt said the Port Authority later pursued a competitive request-for-proposals process in 2023 to bring the aluminum project to Inola. He said the city remained involved in preparing for the facility and that the state subsequently partnered on electricity-rate protections and infrastructure improvements.
“Local voices should continue to speak into the process,” Stitt said. “But changing the rules in the middle of a multi-year permitting process undermines the certainty job creators need to invest billions of dollars and create thousands of jobs.”
The dispute escalated after Inola officials voted unanimously on Sept. 14 to extend a moratorium on heavy industrial development through April 7, 2027. The town also voted to put a proposed ban on primary aluminum smelting within town limits before voters in an April 2027 referendum.
The proposed Oklahoma Primary Aluminum facility is a roughly $4 billion project backed by Emirates Global Aluminium and Century Aluminum. If constructed, the facility is expected to become the largest primary aluminum production plant in the United States.
The project has received support from President Donald Trump and state officials who have pointed to its potential economic and manufacturing benefits. Developers have said the facility would create thousands of jobs and strengthen domestic aluminum production, per reports.
The project has also faced strong opposition from Inola residents and Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, who has challenged the development in court over environmental and other concerns.
Drummond filed a lawsuit seeking to block the project, arguing that it could pose risks to residents, livestock and natural resources. A federal judge returned that case to Rogers County District Court on Sept. 3 after determining the defendants had not established federal jurisdiction.
Environmental concerns remain a major part of the local debate. Oklahoma Primary Aluminum submitted an updated environmental plan to the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality earlier this month, saying it would reduce proposed fluoride emissions intensity limits by 37% compared with the original proposal.
Meanwhile, the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality is responsible for reviewing the facility’s air-quality construction permit application and determining whether the proposed emissions controls meet regulatory requirements.
Stitt argued that Inola’s decision could create uncertainty for companies considering large investments in Oklahoma.
“Oklahoma must remain a state where valid zoning, good-faith negotiations, and established legal processes mean something,” Stitt said, adding that he believes the reversal “sets a damaging precedent that should be carefully reviewed under our Constitution.”
The project’s developers have also indicated they may pursue legal action over the moratorium. Public Radio Tulsa reported that Oklahoma Primary Aluminum and the Tulsa Ports Authority are considering legal options following the town’s decision.
The debate now involves multiple fronts, including the local referendum, ongoing litigation and the state and federal permitting process. For Inola residents, the April 2027 vote is expected to provide a direct decision on whether primary aluminum smelting should be allowed within the town.
