Inola council pauses aluminum smelter vote until April 2027

INOLA, Okla. — The Inola City Council has put a pause on a vote regarding an aluminum smelter until April 2027, drawing applause from more than 200 residents who packed Inola High School for Monday night's meeting. Tulsa Ports is pushing back against the decision.

In a new statement, Tulsa Ports said it has already invested heavily in the Port of Inola development, counting on existing zoning rules. The organization expressed disappointment with the council's decision to extend the moratorium, saying it creates uncertainty for a project already moving forward.

"We believe projects of this scale should be evaluated through the established regulatory processes by the engineers, environmental professionals, and agencies responsible for determining whether they can be developed and operated safely. Actions that create uncertainty around established development rights can not only hinder our ability to carry out our mission and will degrade the image of Oklahoma as a State that is open for new investment."

Brad Craig, Inola's former chief of police and a current resident, said residents are upset about taxpayer money being given to the smelter company.

"That's our money. That's tax payer money. We weren't asked. It was meant to be done, I think, without anybody knowing or anybody paying attention. Well we found out about it and people around here aren't happy about it. Everybody I've talked to are not happy about that. There getting 255 million dollars of our tax payer money."

Residents told me they would like that money put into their roads, hospitals, and building the city in a different way.

Tulsa Ports said it will keep fighting to protect its investments while regulatory agencies review the project.

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