INOLA, Okla. — The lead attorney for four Inola residents told 2 News in the first on-camera interview since filing a federal lawsuit that a proposed aluminum smelter already violates basic environmental procedures.
The project is spearheaded by Century Aluminum and UAE-based Emirates Global Aluminum, and if built would be the United States' first new smelter in almost a half-century. Developers of the smelter have set a construction groundbreaking goal of this October.
“That’s what it comes down to. People don’t want their way of life to be changed," Tulsa-based attorney Donald Lepp said on Aug. 31.
The lawsuit, filed in the Northern District of Oklahoma, seeks to prevent any federal funding to the project on grounds that developers and the Trump administration refuse to follow NEPA, or the 1970 National Environmental Policy Act.
“As I tell everyone, this isn't some liberal fantasy law," Lepp said. "(It was) passed in 1970 under Richard Nixon. This law basically requires any time the government is engaged in 'major federal action', they have to take a hard look at the environmental consequences of their actions before they permit something or approve something (or) spend money. What we’re doing here is we’re asking the federal government to stop spending money on this project until they analyze and investigate the environmental consequences of this."
Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality is actively reviewing air permitting for the smelter, but is subject to federal EPA guidelines -- which falls under Pres. Trump's influence.
There's also Attorney General Gentner Drummond's injunction filed August 11 to stop the smelter under state nuisance statute.
Then there's the Rogers County grand jury petition submitted Aug. 27. All are separate from the new federal lawsuit.
- Previous coverage>>> Inola neighbors against smelter 'disappointed' with Mazzei win
“We can’t build this and then figure out if it’s going to hurt the environment," Lepp said. "You figure it out on the front end. We’d like Inola citizens and Oklahoma citizens to know that we’re out there trying to hold the government’s feet to the fire."
Meanwhile, another capacity crowd filled the Aug. 31 Inola Town Council meeting in which trustees voted to table an item that would cap public comment to ten people.
“The voice of the people needs to be heard," Nancy Bethea told 2 News afterward. "This is some people’s whole inheritance, all they have, all they own, and they want to be heard before this comes in and their rights are taken and their voice is taken away."
View the full federal complaint here.
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