By Bailey Coyle, FOX23.com News Staff
INOLA, Okla. — A grassroots group in Inola is gaining momentum as residents push back against a proposed aluminum smelter planned for the Tulsa Port of Inola.
Chris Roam, a member of Stop the Inola Smelter, says the movement started quickly after the project was announced earlier this year.
“At the end of January, there was a press release that came out announcing they were going to be building a smelter here in Inola,” Roam said. “The first week of February, a group of our community met in a neighbor’s shop, and we had 75 people show up. That’s when Stop the Inola Smelter was born.”
Since then, the group says support has grown rapidly, with more than 1,600 followers on social media and over 1,600 petition signatures collected in less than a month.
Concerns over air pollution and health impacts
Roam says one of the group’s biggest concerns is what could be released into the air.
“The biggest concerns are the pollutants that an aluminum smelter emits,” Roam said.
She points to the company’s air permit application filed with the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality, saying it raises red flags.
“They want to emit 425 tons of fluoride a year into the atmosphere,” she said. “Fluoride does not degrade. It’s going to get in our soil, our water — and affect livestock, crops, wildlife, and people.”
Roam says those pollutants could also impact vulnerable populations, especially when it comes to respiratory health.
Fears about impact on water, wildlife, and rural life
Beyond air quality, residents say they are worried about long-term environmental impacts across Green Country.
“We live in a beautiful part of Green Country,” Roam said. “The effects that the pollutants are going to have on our wildlife and livestock is what we are very, very concerned about.”
She also says the project could permanently change the character of the community.
“People come to Inola choosing a rural lifestyle,” Roam said. “Putting this massive aluminum smelter right in the middle of our farms and ranches is going to completely change our community.”
Roam notes the area includes farms, homesteads, and a large Amish community that relies on the land.
Company says project would be safe, bring benefits
Representatives with Oklahoma Primary Aluminum say the location was carefully selected and the project would bring economic benefits to the region.
“The reason why we’re here is because this is going to be a great location for us — access to water, access to energy, access to workforce, and a central location to get to customers,” said Matt Aboud, Senior Vice President of Strategy.
Company leaders say similar facilities have operated safely for decades.
“We have a lot of other facilities in similar areas with vegetation, animals, and people living nearby,” Aboud said. “These plants have been around for 50, 60, 70 years with no impact… we feel very confident that with this new technology and control systems, there will be no harm.”
Project director Ziad Fares also emphasized confidence in the technology and environmental standards.
“I live 10 minutes away from a smelter… and I feel safe,” Fares said. “All the emissions and environmental impacts are well within limits that could have any impact on people, businesses, cattle, or agriculture.”
Fares added the proposed facility in Inola would be more advanced than existing operations.
“This is by far more efficient and less impactful on the environment… than what we have in Dubai, that is already within safe limits,” he said.
Timeline and next steps
Company officials say the project is still in the early stages.
“We are still going through the engineering and environmental studies,” Aboud said. “We’re hoping to have a groundbreaking by the end of this year, with about a three-year construction timeline.”
That would put the facility potentially becoming operational around 2029 or 2030.
Officials also say they want to work with the community moving forward.
“We want them to get comfortable with what the project is… we want to listen to their concerns and talk to them like neighbors,” Aboud said.
“We understand a project of this scale might be scary,” Fares added. “We would urge people to ask questions and rely on facts — we are here to answer those questions.”
Petition aims to show widespread opposition
Still, organizers say their petition shows strong and growing concern.
“We are not just 20 disgruntled neighbors,” Roam said. “The effects of an aluminum smelter are not going to stay in Inola — they’re going to spread into Green Country.”
She says the group hopes the growing support sends a message to elected leaders.
“Look at this constituent base. Understand our concerns, and represent the people who elected you,” she said.
What organizers want next
Roam says the group’s primary goal is to stop the project altogether. But if it moves forward, they want strict accountability.
“There is no clean smelter anywhere in the world,” she said. “But if they’re claiming this will be the most modern and clean, we want them to deliver on that.”
For now, the focus is on raising awareness.
“It’s amazing how many people are still unaware,” Roam said. “People are shocked when they hear about it.”
