Aluminum plant operator responds to Attorney General’s move

Oklahoma Primary Aluminum Responds To Claims by Attorney General Gentner Drummond

The company proposing a $4 billion aluminum smelter in Inola defended the project after it was attacked by Oklahoma Attorney  General Gentner Drummond who filed legal petitions to stop it.

In the statement, Oklahoma Primary Aluminum said it was leading President Trump’s national effort, America First Agenda and the project would provide aluminum critical to national defense.

The following is the full statement:

Oklahoma Primary Aluminum is leading a national effort initiated as part of President Trump’s America First agenda to bring aluminum production and jobs back to the United States. We’re investing in Oklahoma because we believe this facility can bring meaningful benefits to the community, the state and our nation. As the first new aluminum production facility built in the U.S. since 1980, Oklahoma Primary Aluminum represents a concrete step toward strengthening supply chains, providing aluminum critical to national defense, doubling domestic output, cutting dependence on foreign aluminum and bringing at least 1,000 permanent jobs, 2,000 indirect jobs and 4,000 construction jobs to Oklahoma.

An environmental review is very important to us, and we expect to engage in a thorough and rigorous process. Such a review was triggered months ago, and is actively underway through the permitting process overseen by the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ). The permitting process ensures all environmental standards, both federal and state, are met. This process is required under state and federal law and is designed to protect people, livestock and vegetation near the proposed plant, and provides for public participation. There will be state and federal oversight at every stage — not just at the permit application. 

The facility will be the most modern aluminum plant in the world, using the latest technology from  Emirates Global Aluminum (EGA), which has advanced through 10 technology generations. The project is currently in its initial phase, which will incorporate input from the ODEQ environmental review process. The facility will use real-time emissions monitoring, enclosed material handling and specific environmental safeguards — all designed to protect workers, neighbors, farms and wildlife. Backed by decades of operating experience, EGA, the facility’s operator, is committed to responsible, transparent operations. 

Separately, Oklahoma Primary Aluminum will source electricity from the grid, and is in negotiations with Public Service Company of Oklahoma (PSO) to finalize the power agreement. The agreement will be reviewed and approved by the independent Oklahoma Corporate Commission which oversees setting PSO electricity rates in Oklahoma. Part of the purpose of the Oklahoma Corporation Commission regulatory process is to assess and minimize any impacts on power bills on other customers, both residential and commercial. EGA’s next-generation technology reduces electricity use by roughly one-third per ton of aluminum compared to the other facilities operating in the United States.  

We encourage anyone with questions about Oklahoma Primary Aluminum to visit the comprehensive Answers Center on our website, which is updated regularly to address questions from the community.