The principal chief says concerns about the aluminum plant have grown but does not take a position for or against the project.
TAHLEQUAH — Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. called Friday for developers and government regulators to consult the tribe about the proposed Inola aluminum smelter, saying concerns have grown about its potential effects on neighboring communities.
The smelter would be located within the Muscogee Nation reservation near the Cherokee Nation reservation boundary. Hoskin said its economic and environmental effects could reach tribal communities beyond the project site.
“I am concerned about the potential impact of the proposed aluminum smelter project located in Inola near the Cherokee Nation Reservation,” Hoskin said in a statement. “Public policy analysis of the proposed smelter’s impact to the environment and neighboring tribal communities should be driven by facts, science and stakeholder engagement.”
Hoskin called on the project’s private developers and the government agencies responsible for regulating it to consult with the Cherokee Nation.
“Although the smelter is proposed to be situated in the Muscogee Nation near the border of our reservation, the economic and environmental impact of the smelter has long had the attention of Cherokee Nation leaders,” Hoskin said. “As Cherokee Nation and the public’s understanding of the potential impact of the smelter has grown, so too have concerns about the project, community impact and related litigation.”
Hoskin said he has directed the Cherokee Nation secretary of natural resources to request engagement from public and private entities involved in developing or regulating the project.
“Engagement must be meaningful and informed by complete technical information, allowing Cherokee Nation to fully evaluate the potential effects on our communities and citizens,” he said.
No position for or against project
Hoskin did not call for the smelter to be stopped, but neither did he endorse it. His statement instead sought a formal role for the Cherokee Nation in evaluating the project and its possible effects.
That differs from the formal action taken by the Muscogee Nation, where the smelter would be located.
The Muscogee National Council voted 15-0 on July 25 to oppose the construction and operation of any aluminum smelter on its reservation lands. The resolution said potential pollution from the Inola project could affect communities across the reservation and create “generational environmental trauma.”
Project becomes central campaign issue
The multibillion-dollar aluminum project is planned for the Tulsa Port of Inola and would be the largest primary aluminum plant in the United States. Its developers project it would create 1,000 permanent jobs, and the U.S. Department of Energy has awarded the project $500 million.
Oklahoma approved a $255 million state incentive package for the project in 2025. The Reindustrialize Oklahoma Act provides performance-based rebates if the company meets investment and job-creation requirements.
The smelter has since become one of the central issues in the Aug. 25 Republican gubernatorial runoff. Attorney General Gentner Drummond has filed a lawsuit seeking to stop it, while former state Sen. Mike Mazzei supports the project after criticizing the state incentives earlier in the campaign. The two candidates clashed repeatedly over the smelter during their recent televised debate.
