Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. issued a statement expressing concern over a proposed aluminum smelter near the Cherokee reservation. Hoskin also called on government regulators and the smelter's private developers to consult with the Cherokee Nation.
The site of the proposed smelter is at the Port of Inola on the Verdigris River. It's in the Muscogee Nation reservation but less than five miles south of the border with Cherokee Nation's reservation.
The smelter, proposed by an aluminum company based in the United Arab Emirates, has received support from the state and the federal government. But residents have pushed back, saying operations would endanger people, crops and livestock in the surrounding area.
"The economic and environmental impact of the smelter has long had the attention of Cherokee Nation leaders," Hoskin wrote in a post on social media. "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's directing the Cherokee Nation Secretary of Natural Resources to engage with the entities involved in building or regulating the smelter.
"Engagement must be meaningful and informed by complete technical information, allowing Cherokee Nation to fully evaluate the potential effects on our communities and citizens," Hoskin wrote.
At the end of July, the Muscogee Nation Council unanimously approved a resolution opposing any aluminum smelter on Muscogee reservation lands.
Hoskin's statement comes the same day the Cherokee Nation banned hyperscale data center development on trust land and land owned by the tribe. Like the smelter, data centers have caused a flashpoint in northeastern Oklahoma because of potential threats to natural resources.
In Oklahoma, many tribal nations are limited in their oversight of environmental regulations due to 2005 legislation authored by late Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Oklahoma, which requires tribes to receive permission from the state to administer EPA regulations on reservation land.
This report was produced by the Oklahoma Public Media Exchange, a collaboration of public media organizations. Help support collaborative journalism by donating at the link at the top of this webpage.
