**A**merica’s largest aluminum smelter could be built less than 3 miles from schools and communities in Inola, meaning residents could soon be facing a major lifestyle change where children may be the most affected.
The project, proposed by Emirates Global Aluminium, a United Arab Emirates-based aluminum producer, would be the first new primary aluminum plant built in the United States in nearly 50 years. The facility is expected to produce 750,000 metric tons of aluminum per year, which would make it the largest aluminum smelter in the country.
The Environmental Protection Agency’s rules for primary aluminum plants list several hazardous air pollutants that can come from aluminum smelting, including hydrogen fluoride, carbonyl sulfide, lead, nickel, manganese, mercury, PCBs and polycyclic organic matter.
The proposed mega facility would be built only 3 miles from Inola schools, placing children near a major source of industrial pollution. Families are asking what students could be exposed to during daily operations and what safeguards would be in place to protect their health.
Inola is a farming town, where residents own livestock and grow crops that could be affected by pollution from the proposed smelter. Hydrogen fluoride emissions are a concern because fluoride pollution from aluminum smelting can affect vegetation, forage, livestock and soil, meaning the risk is not only what enters the air, but also what could settle on grass, hay fields, gardens and water sources over time.
Before the smelter moves forward, Inola residents are asking for clear answers on what the plant could release, how pollution would be monitored, how children and farms would be protected, and who would be held responsible for violations. They are also calling for independent environmental testing, enforceable pollution limits, emergency plans for nearby schools, and public air and water monitoring.
Would you feel comfortable having a giant smelting facility only 3 miles from your community?
