Friday, the Justice Department’s Energy and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) filed a statement of interest in a disingenuous lawsuit brought by Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond and expressed Federal support for the construction of a primary aluminum smelter in Inola, Oklahoma.
ENRD’s filing concerns a case where the Oklahoma AG has sued Century Aluminum Company and Aluminum Oklahoma, alleging environmental violations under state nuisance laws. Plaintiff’s allegations concern the federal Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act, which require environmental permits for the construction and operation of the primary aluminum smelter.
Instead of allowing review of these environmental permits in the first instances, the Oklahoma Attorney General seeks to enjoin construction through this premature lawsuit, threatening vital materials critical to our nation’s defense.
