Drummond, DEQ send warning letters on Inola aluminum smelter permitting

Oklahoma’s chief prosecutor has a new request for Department of Environmental Quality in his fight against a proposed aluminum smelter in Inola, while DEQ has new demands for the smelter's developers.

DEQ, Drummond send warning letters on Inola aluminum smelter permitting

By: Samson Tamijani

INOLA, Okla. — Oklahoma’s chief prosecutor has a new request for state regulators in his fight against a proposed aluminum smelter in Inola, while Department of Environmental Quality has new demands for the smelter's developers.

Oklahoma Primary Aluminum, a partnership of Century Aluminum and UAE-based Emirates Global Aluminum, revised its air permit application to ODEQ last month to project air pollutants and overall ozone impact. OPA’s numbers say it complies with federal EPA guidelines, which have overall loosened under the trump administration.

However, DEQ notified the developers on Oct. 7 in this letter that it needs more evidence to back up its numbers and "must demonstrate that allowable emission increases would not" cause federal violations with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Previous coverage>>> Inola leaders extend smelter moratorium, set town referendum date

DEQ's website shows the aluminum smelter is at Step 4 of the permitting process.

“First, this is the largest pollution source to ever request a permit in the history of the state of Oklahoma,” longtime environmental scientist and American Industrial Hygiene Association fellow Charles Marshall, PhD told 2 news on Oct. 8 via Zoom.

“DEQ is now wanting more detail so that they can be absolutely sure that when they verify these calculations, that they have all of the documentation necessary to support whatever the final draft construction permit limitations will be," Marshall said. "So the DEQ is putting the burden on them to do their job, which was apparently not done adequately enough in their September 3, 2026 submittal.”

Then there’s Attorney General Gentner Drummond’s request to DEQ in an Oct. 8 letter you can read here. Drummond already has ongoing litigation against the smelter's developers.

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Drummond argues proposed DEQ rules on ozone emissions credits for businesses will "fail to account for geographic and seasonal factors" and asks DEQ not to permit the smelter if it fails to meet federal limits on its own.

DEQ responded to a request for comment from 2 News stating the proposed revision would not apply to the current smelter application but that the state department "will carefully review the AG’s letter".

The proposed rule revision is intended to promote economic development while improving Oklahoma’s air quality and helping to continue to attain the National Ambient Air Quality Standards. The proposed revision would not apply to the current aluminum smelter application for two reasons:
If the rule revision is approved, it would not take effect for more than a year and therefore would not apply to the current application.
Based on the emissions proposed in the smelter’s permit application, the project is below EPA’s Ozone Significant Impact Level (SIL). If proposed emissions were at or above the SIL, DEQ would be required to conduct an additional evaluation that may or may not result in the need for an Ozone Precursor Program. However, the proposed smelter is well below the SIL.
DEQ received and appreciates Attorney General Drummond’s letter and will take time to carefully review and evaluate it.

Oklahoma Environmental Quality

OPA responded with a statement regarding Drummond's letter as well:

"The air permit application information submitted by Oklahoma Primary Aluminum in September demonstrates that the project’s contribution to ozone, combined with regional representative background concentrations, will be below the applicable national ambient air quality standard for ozone in Inola and the surrounding area.

Existing background ozone levels are driven largely by regional and mobile sources, particularly automobiles. As a result, the project will not cause an exceedance of the ozone standard."

Oklahoma Primary Aluminum

Marshall told 2 News he's long been skeptical of the smelter project's environmental compliance plans.

FULL INTERVIEW: Environmental scientist on Inola aluminum smelter permitting process

Environmental scientist on Inola aluminum smelter permitting process

“We're already having ozone issues in Oklahoma," Marshall said. "We've been on the threshold of non-attainment and having warnings from that issued by the DEQ and others over the last, you know, decade. And so, anytime this subject comes up with a major source, we need to really scrutinize this potential to exceed the significant impact level. We need to do it with a fine-tooth comb.”