A year following Oklahoma’s agreement to help in the funding of a proposed $4 billion aluminum smelter near Inola, the developers have filed one of their first environmental requests with the state.
The Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) stated this week it had received an air quality construction permit from Emirates Global Aluminum (EGA) for a proposed aluminum smelter facility in Inola. Emirates Global Aluminium initially received support from state leaders then announced in January of 2026 that it had entered into a joint ownership with Chicago-based Century Aluminum.
As part of the new joint venture, EGA owns 60% and Century maintains ownership of the remaining 40% in the smelter.
The deal also led to another big business agreement last month when Oklahoma City-based U.S. Aluminum Company signed an agreement with EGA and Century Aluminum, the companies behind the planned primary aluminum production plant in Inola, Oklahoma, to explore the development of an aluminum fabrication plant near the new smelter.
The project, named Oklahoma Primary Aluminum, is expected to double U.S. primary aluminum production and make Oklahoma a national center of aluminum-related manufacturing. U.S. Aluminum Company is the first downstream firm to sign an agreement with the project developers.
U.S. Aluminum Company’s goal is to build a plant near the smelter to turn liquid aluminum into products for the electrical, defense, aerospace, automotive and machinery industries. U.S. Aluminum Company was founded by the Plotkin Family of Oklahoma City, owners of leading aluminum fabrication company M-D Building Products, which has been a national leader in the hardware industry stretching back more than a century.
The Oklahoma DEQ said its agency staff have begun reviewing the application in accordance with the Uniform Environmental Permitting Act. As part of the permitting process, DEQ scheduled a public process meeting for Thursday, April 23, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. at the Fine Arts Center, Inola High School, 801 E Commercial St., Inola, OK 74036.
At the meeting, a DEQ representative will explain how the public can submit comments and be involved in the permitting process. A representative from EGA will also be available to provide information about the proposed facility and respond to questions from the public. While this meeting is intended solely to discuss the agency’s permitting process, there will be additional, future opportunities to discuss technical aspects of the permit application.
Public participation is an important component of the permitting process. DEQ encourages residents, local organizations, and other stakeholders to attend this and upcoming meetings, review available materials, and be actively engaged with the permitting process.
The air quality construction permit for this project can be viewed at the Inola Public Library, 15 N Broadway Ave., Inola OK 74036, or at DEQ’s Oklahoma City office. The status and supporting documentation of the permit application is also available for review on the DEQ website at https://applications.deq.ok.gov/PermitsPublicReview/viewpermits.aspx DEQ is working to make it a statutory requirement to maintain the availability of all permitting documents on the DEQ website through Senate Bill 1246.
Currently, DEQ has only received the air quality construction permit for this project. Additional DEQ permits may be required for the facility.
However, the project faces environmental questions and opposition from some residents of Inola who formed a group called Stop The Inola Smelter.
Some pointedly claim the smelter would allow “twice the amount of hydrogen fluoride emissions” as some of the most sophisticated smelters in the world.