OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – Gov. Kevin Stitt has announced a $4 billion investment from the world’s largest producer of premium aluminium. This would be the country’s first new aluminium plant in 45 years. The project is expected to create 1,000 direct jobs and 1,800 indirect jobs, but the environmental impacts will impact worker’s health.
Emirates Global Aluminium, a subsidiary of Mubadala Investment Company of Abu Dhabi and Investment Corporation of Dubai, is the entitiy behind the historic investment. EGA will build the facility at the Tulsa Port of Inola, a 2,200-acre industrial park located 30 miles east of Tulsa.
“This is a monumental day for Oklahoma,” said Governor Kevin Stitt. “We are proud to welcome Emirates Global Aluminium to our state and excited for the generational impact this investment will have on our future.”
Its port location gives the new facility direct access to rail, barge transportation and global waterways. Gov. Stitt says the project reflects the Trump administration’s goal of reviving US manufacturing by doubling the nation’s domestic aluminium production.
“The United States has been an important market for EGA for several decades, and we know there is strong demand for our high-quality metal made in America,” said Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, Chief Executive Officer of Emirates Global Aluminium. “This is an important moment for EGA, and for the economic relationship between the United States and the United Arab Emirates.”
This isn’t the only metals investment project taking place in Oklahoma. In January, Stardust Power broke ground on a new lithium refinery in the Port of Muskogee. Similar to the EGA project, the new refinery is along a river in northeastern Oklahoma. However, the number of jobs created by this refinery is lower than the aluminium investment. Stitt has described both additions to the state as beneficial for national security.
Environmental and health impacts
Stitt said the average salary for EGA workers will be around $80,000 a year. Despite the high wages, these workers will likely face exposure to toxic emissions.
Aluminium smelters, like the upcoming project in Tulsa, come with high potential health risks for workers. Exposure to toxins such as beryllium, dust, fluorides and sulfur dioxides can contribute to respiratory disease and cancer.
But the risk extends far further than those who will work in the facility. With the facility located along the Verdigris River, there is an added risk of negative environmental impacts. High aluminum levels in freshwater are toxic to fish, which may harm the health of surrounding communities and wildlife.
Related Stories
Oklahoma’s inland ports, such as the Port of Inola, are often attractive to out-of-state corporations. The river systems allow for ease of transport throughout the Mississippi River. The McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System is a nearly 445-mile stretch of navigable waterways. The Port of Inola connects Oklahoma to 10 other states along the Mississippi River.
Yet, industrial and residential sources contribute to pollution in America’s longest river. Additionally, droughts in the Midwest can cause low river levels, halting transportation operations.
A 2020 study from the Sierra Club found that areas surrounding aluminium smelting operations have poor air quality, often due to perfluorinated compounds. According to the EPA, PFCs can cause a host of negative side effects, including developmental, immune, neurobehavioral, liver, and endocrine disorders.