Inola, Oklahoma — a $4 billion primary aluminum smelter project backed by President Donald Trump and Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt has hit a significant roadblock. The Inola Board of Trustees unanimously approved a 60-day moratorium on zoning approvals following fierce local resistance from residents, ranchers, and Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond. The project, a joint venture between Emirates Global Aluminum (60%) and Century Aluminum Company (40%), aims to build the first new domestic primary aluminum smelter since 1980.

National Security and Ownership Concerns

Trump has framed the smelter as critical to national security, citing the U.S. reliance on imports for more than half of its aluminum. The Energy Department pledged a $500 million federal grant, while Oklahoma offered major incentives. However, the ownership structure has drawn scrutiny. Emirates Global Aluminum is tied to the sovereign wealth funds of the United Arab Emirates, raising sovereignty concerns among local leaders. "A primary aluminum smelter does not belong in a community’s backyard, and its emissions do not respect property lines," Drummond wrote in a lawsuit seeking to block construction.

Environmental and Economic Stakes

Local opposition centers on fears that hydrogen fluoride emissions could harm livestock, crops, and water in the "Hay Capital of the World." While Assistant U.S. Secretary of Energy Audrey Robertson defended the project as using closed-loop technology that captures emissions, residents remained skeptical. "We’re not seeing that in the air permit application," local resident Christine Roam said. The corporate response included warnings from Oklahoma Primary Aluminum, an Emirates' subsidiary, that delays could trigger litigation to recover "tens of millions of dollars already invested."

Project Status and Market Context

The moratorium allows time to review environmental data before a decision on the largest economic development project in state history. Century Aluminum stock had rallied as high as 76% through early June but faced recent headwinds, including insider selling and a fifth consecutive earnings miss. The following table outlines the key project details: