The proposed $4 billion aluminum smelter at Inola in northeast Oklahoma is attracting more opposition from nearby residents and farmers and ranchers.
At the heart of much of the opposition is worry and concern about the environmental impacts, not just on people but on farm and ranch livestock.
Some of the residents say they are not getting answers to their questions about the impact the aluminum smelter’s emissions will have on their health.
As Oklahoma Watch reported in a recent story, “When compared to the most sophisticated smelters in the world, public records indicate Inola’s plant will be allowed to emit twice as much pollution in some cases. Hydrogen fluoride, a potent toxin to plants that can cause cattle to starve due to tooth deformities, is a main concern. Inola’s facility, according to its air permit, will be allowed to emit 425 tons of the colorless gas annually, or more than a ton a day, if approved. How exactly the surrounding area, composed mainly of farmland and forest, will be affected is unclear. ”
As OK Energy Today reported in March, opponents have formed an opposition group fighting the smelter pushed by Emirates Global Aluminium and Century Aluminum. They call themselves Stop The Inola Smelter.
The plant, to be built with the aid of Oklahoma incentives, will be the first such primary aluminum production plant in the country since 1980.
The Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality is reviewing the air quality construction permit submitted by Emirates Global Aluminum (EGA) which was submitted late last month.
Residents and those with questions about the environmental impact of the smelter will have another chance to ask their questions when the DEQ holds a public process meeting next week, Thursday, April 23 at 6 p.m. in the Fine Arts Center of the Inola High School.
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