(Local residents gather for a community meeting in Inola on Mar. 7, 2026 to discuss the aluminum smelter planned for their community. Thomas Harrington explains to the crowd gathered the air pollution levels, chemical make up and distance that can be expected from the plant. (Rip Stell/Oklahoma Watch)
A year after Oklahoma entered into an agreement to help fund a $4 billion aluminum smelter to be built near Inola, the project by Emirates Global Aluminium and Century Aluminum isn’t exactly being welcomed with open arms by some around the northeast town.
Billed as the first new primary aluminum production plant in the U.S. since 1980, it has since been met with criticism and opposition by some who live in Inola. They’ve even formed an opposition group called Stop The Inola Smelter.
Oklahoma Watch reporter Elizabeth Caldwell spoke with some of them and found they expressed environmental concerns about the project, claiming it would allow “twice the amount of hydrogen fluoride emissions” as some of the most sophisticated smelters in the world.
One resident even called the Norwegian Environmental Authority to learn its dealings with the plants in Norway. The Authority cautioned him about the dangers of fluoride released into the air as a gas. He learned that studies show hydrogen fluoride, even in small quantities is highly toxic to plants.
Emirates Global Aluminium agreed in January of this year to enter into a joint ownership with Chicago-based Century Aluminum. Under the deal, EGA would own 60% and 40% would be owned by Century. Both reportedly claimed the smelter is under EPA limits for hydrogen fluoride.
Neither the Port of Inola nor EGA agreed to participate in this story. Some residents were not afraid to voice their concerns at a public meeting this week, according to KJRH TV News.
The group Stop The Inola Smelter argues its unaddressed concerns include allegations of adverse health effects of the hay capital of the world (Inola’s self-proclaimed title) becoming perhaps the aluminum capital of the Americas, reported the station.
“This will make Inola the air pollution capital of Oklahoma just based on the numbers Emirates Global Aluminum has submitted here,” Inola resident Eric Reilly said.
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