The authority's board of directors unanimously approved its counsel to pursue legal challenge at a Thursday meeting following an hour-long executive session.
During the meeting, Chairwoman Deanne Hughes said it will "defend the port's property rights" and "pursue its legal goals related to industrial development of the port."
The City of Tulsa–Rogers County Port Authority manages the Tulsa Port of Inola, which is the site planned for a $4 billion aluminum smelter backed by President Donald Trump, Gov. Kevin Stitt and the Oklahoma state government. It would be the largest economic development project in Oklahoma history and the first aluminum smelter built in the United States in more than 40 years.
But the project has faced resistance from nearby residents, Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond and at least two tribal nations: the Muscogee and Cherokee nations.
Earlier this week, the Inola town council approved a public vote set for April 7, 2027, which is the subject of the authority's legal challenge. That's when voters will decide whether or not the city bans primary aluminum smelting in the town's limits. The referendum comes from a citizen-led initiative petition that garnered 201 signatures — more than 10% of Inola residents.
The board did not, however, authorize a lawsuit Thursday against the city's moratorium targeted at the smelter.
In late June, the council implemented a two-month moratorium on heavy industrial development, which includes the smelter. It just extended that moratorium to next April when it authorized the April 7 vote.
When asked about details about the legal challenge, representatives for the authority sent the following statement:
"The mission of Tulsa Ports is to drive economic growth for Oklahoma by attracting new businesses through our industrial parks and waterway assets. As stewards of land and economic growth, we have a responsibility to preserve our ability to develop these sites in ways that support these new opportunities.
Over the last 7 years, Tulsa Ports has planned and constructed over $100 million in infrastructure within the Tulsa Port of Inola as well as the Town of Inola. This is because we are committed to responsible development and protecting the long-term benefits the Port of Inola will create locally and statewide as a destination for generational investments.
Tulsa Ports will continue to advance its public mission while allowing the appropriate regulatory agencies to evaluate the Oklahoma Primary Aluminum project on its merits."
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.
