{"id":21532,"date":"2024-02-13T09:08:08","date_gmt":"2024-02-13T15:08:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/borderlessmag.org\/?p=21532"},"modified":"2025-10-08T09:48:17","modified_gmt":"2025-10-08T14:48:17","slug":"koppers-environmental-violations-plant-records-illinois-epa-cicero-independiente","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/borderlessmag.org\/es\/2024\/02\/13\/koppers-environmental-violations-plant-records-illinois-epa-cicero-independiente\/","title":{"rendered":"Koppers refuta las infracciones medioambientales m\u00e1s recientes, pero los registros de la planta revelan dos d\u00e9cadas de enfrentamientos con la EPA de Illinois"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\t\t<div id=\"fws_69dd0c2268ed5\"  data-column-margin=\"default\" data-midnight=\"dark\"  class=\"wpb_row vc_row-fluid vc_row\"  style=\"padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; \"><div class=\"row-bg-wrap\" data-bg-animation=\"none\" data-bg-animation-delay=\"\" data-bg-overlay=\"false\"><div class=\"inner-wrap row-bg-layer\" ><div class=\"row-bg viewport-desktop\"  style=\"\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"row_col_wrap_12 col span_12 dark left\">\n\t<div  class=\"vc_col-sm-2 vc_hidden-sm vc_hidden-xs wpb_column column_container vc_column_container col no-extra-padding inherit_tablet inherit_phone \"  data-padding-pos=\"all\" data-has-bg-color=\"false\" data-bg-color=\"\" data-bg-opacity=\"1\" data-animation=\"\" data-delay=\"0\" >\n\t\t<div class=\"vc_column-inner\" >\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div> \n\n\t<div  class=\"vc_col-sm-8 wpb_column column_container vc_column_container col padding-3-percent inherit_tablet inherit_phone \"  data-padding-pos=\"all\" data-has-bg-color=\"false\" data-bg-color=\"\" data-bg-opacity=\"1\" data-animation=\"\" data-delay=\"0\" >\n\t\t<div class=\"vc_column-inner\" >\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\n<div class=\"wpb_text_column wpb_content_element \" >\n\t<p><em>This story was originally published by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ciceroindependiente.com\/\">Cicero Independiente<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.muckrock.com\/?gclid=Cj0KCQiAw6yuBhDrARIsACf94RXvjsE-it6uZZdXHg439eWGpw2t5-yrDsFjOU73OsChovEelBA3VcgaArp8EALw_wcB\">MuckRock<\/a>.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Over the past decade, the Koppers coal tar plant, situated on the border of the town of Cicero and the village of Stickney, has been flagged for more than 50 violations of state environmental laws. The plant emits <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ciceroindependiente.com\/english\/cicero-news-stickney-koppers-epa-violations-air-pollution-industrial-muck-rock\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">more of two cancer-linked chemicals<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> than any other facility in Cook County, and ranks among the biggest regulated air polluters in the U.S. Last fall, when the company received its latest violation notice from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, Koppers followed the same routine it had many times before:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Pittsburgh-based chemicals company, which refines oils and tars for things like wood preservatives, refuted almost all of the state EPA\u2019s 25 alleged violations. The company asked for a meeting with state regulators, to go over the alleged violations in detail. And, while not admitting fault, the company claimed <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">that\u00a0 changes to technology<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> would help reduce air pollution for thousands of Cicero and Stickney residents and children who live, work and go to school within a half mile of the plant. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"templatera_shortcode\">\n\t\t<div id=\"fws_69dd0c226a40f\"  data-column-margin=\"default\" data-midnight=\"dark\"  class=\"wpb_row vc_row-fluid vc_row vc_row-o-equal-height vc_row-flex vc_row-o-content-middle small\"  style=\"padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; \"><div class=\"row-bg-wrap\" data-bg-animation=\"none\" data-bg-animation-delay=\"\" data-bg-overlay=\"false\"><div class=\"inner-wrap row-bg-layer\" ><div class=\"row-bg viewport-desktop\"  style=\"\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"row_col_wrap_12 col span_12 dark left\">\n\t<div  class=\"vc_col-sm-12 wpb_column column_container vc_column_container col no-extra-padding inherit_tablet inherit_phone border_color_909090 border_style_solid \"  data-padding-pos=\"all\" data-has-bg-color=\"false\" data-bg-color=\"\" data-bg-opacity=\"1\" data-animation=\"\" data-delay=\"0\" >\n\t\t<div class=\"vc_column-inner\" >\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t<div id=\"fws_69dd0c226af26\"  data-column-margin=\"default\" data-midnight=\"dark\"  class=\"wpb_row vc_row-fluid vc_row vc_row-o-equal-height vc_row-flex vc_row-o-content-middle large top_margin_20px bottom_margin_20px\"  style=\"padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; \"><div class=\"row-bg-wrap\" data-bg-animation=\"none\" data-bg-animation-delay=\"\" data-bg-overlay=\"true\"><div class=\"inner-wrap row-bg-layer\" ><div class=\"row-bg viewport-desktop\"  style=\"\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"row-bg-overlay row-bg-layer\" style=\"background: #FFFFFF; background: linear-gradient(90deg,#FFFFFF 0%,#FFFFFF 100%);  opacity: 1; \"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"row_col_wrap_12 col span_12 dark left\">\n\t<div  class=\"vc_col-sm-12 wpb_column column_container vc_column_container col padding-3-percent force-phone-text-align-center inherit_tablet inherit_phone border_top_desktop_1px border_bottom_desktop_1px border_color_FFFFFF border_style_solid \"  data-padding-pos=\"all\" data-has-bg-color=\"false\" data-bg-color=\"\" data-bg-opacity=\"1\" data-animation=\"\" data-delay=\"0\" >\n\t\t<div class=\"vc_column-inner\" >\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t<div id=\"fws_69dd0c226b5d6\" data-midnight=\"\" data-column-margin=\"default\" class=\"wpb_row vc_row-fluid vc_row inner_row vc_row-o-equal-height vc_row-flex vc_row-o-content-middle\"  style=\"\"><div class=\"row-bg-wrap\"> <div class=\"row-bg\" ><\/div> <\/div><div class=\"row_col_wrap_12_inner col span_12  left\">\n\t<div  class=\"vc_col-sm-7 wpb_column column_container vc_column_container col child_column no-extra-padding inherit_tablet inherit_phone \"   data-padding-pos=\"all\" data-has-bg-color=\"false\" data-bg-color=\"\" data-bg-opacity=\"1\" data-animation=\"\" data-delay=\"0\" >\n\t\t<div class=\"vc_column-inner\" >\n\t\t<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\n<div class=\"wpb_text_column wpb_content_element \" >\n\t<h4 id=\"news-that-puts-power-under-the-spotlight-and-communities-at-the-center\"><strong>News that puts power under the spotlight and communities at the center.<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>Sign up for our free newsletter and get updates twice a week.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\t\t<\/div> \n\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div> \n\n\t<div style=\"margin-top: -20px; \" class=\"vc_col-sm-5 wpb_column column_container vc_column_container col child_column neg-marg no-extra-padding inherit_tablet inherit_phone \"   data-padding-pos=\"all\" data-has-bg-color=\"false\" data-bg-color=\"\" data-bg-opacity=\"1\" data-animation=\"\" data-delay=\"0\" >\n\t\t<div class=\"vc_column-inner\" >\n\t\t<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\n\t<div class=\"wpb_raw_code wpb_raw_html wpb_content_element\" >\n\t\t<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"_form_1\"><\/div><script src=\"https:\/\/borderlessmag.bluelena.io\/f\/embed.php?id=1\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t<\/div> \n\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div> \n<\/div><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div> \n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\t\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div> \n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"wpb_text_column wpb_content_element \" >\n\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Before 2020, when faced with similar violations of state and federal environmental laws, Koppers and the Illinois EPA would ultimately agree on the steps the company would take to address them, through <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/epa.illinois.gov\/topics\/compliance-enforcement\/cca.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">a legal process called a \u201cCompliance Commitment Agreement.\u201d<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> These agreements avoid costly fines and <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">penalties<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> by the state attorney general\u2019s office.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But since 2020, the Illinois EPA has instead argued that the disagreements about violations were too serious for an out-of-court settlement, and referred the cases to prosecutors for tougher legal action. Those cases are still awaiting some kind of action by state prosecutors \u2014 a lawsuit, a settlement or, potentially, an <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">injunction that could shut down facility operations deemed to represent a \u201csubstantial danger to the environment or to the public health.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\t\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div> \n\n\t<div  class=\"vc_col-sm-2 vc_hidden-sm vc_hidden-xs wpb_column column_container vc_column_container col no-extra-padding inherit_tablet inherit_phone \"  data-padding-pos=\"all\" data-has-bg-color=\"false\" data-bg-color=\"\" data-bg-opacity=\"1\" data-animation=\"\" data-delay=\"0\" >\n\t\t<div class=\"vc_column-inner\" >\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div> \n<\/div><\/div>\n\t\t<div id=\"fws_69dd0c226d171\"  data-column-margin=\"default\" data-midnight=\"dark\"  class=\"wpb_row vc_row-fluid vc_row\"  style=\"padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; \"><div class=\"row-bg-wrap\" data-bg-animation=\"none\" data-bg-animation-delay=\"\" data-bg-overlay=\"false\"><div class=\"inner-wrap row-bg-layer\" ><div class=\"row-bg viewport-desktop\"  style=\"\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"row_col_wrap_12 col span_12 dark left\">\n\t<div  class=\"vc_col-sm-2 vc_hidden-sm vc_hidden-xs wpb_column column_container vc_column_container col no-extra-padding inherit_tablet inherit_phone \"  data-padding-pos=\"all\" data-has-bg-color=\"false\" data-bg-color=\"\" data-bg-opacity=\"1\" data-animation=\"\" data-delay=\"0\" >\n\t\t<div class=\"vc_column-inner\" >\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div> \n\n\t<div  class=\"vc_col-sm-8 wpb_column column_container vc_column_container col padding-3-percent inherit_tablet inherit_phone \"  data-padding-pos=\"all\" data-has-bg-color=\"false\" data-bg-color=\"\" data-bg-opacity=\"1\" data-animation=\"\" data-delay=\"0\" >\n\t\t<div class=\"vc_column-inner\" >\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\n<div class=\"wpb_text_column wpb_content_element \" >\n\t<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" id=\"datawrapper-chart-D9Fui\" style=\"border: none;\" title=\"Koppers has a history of violations with the Illinois EPA\" src=\"https:\/\/datawrapper.dwcdn.net\/D9Fui\/7\/\" width=\"600\" height=\"800\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" aria-label=\"Scatter Plot\" data-external=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wpb_text_column wpb_content_element \" >\n\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And this fall, within Koppers, something else happened. Several senior Koppers executives began to sell their company stock at a much higher rate than in previous years. In the span of just six weeks at the end of 2023, four Koppers executives, including Chief Executive Officer Leroy Ball, Chief Operating Officer James Sullivan and two officials in charge of environmental compliance, sold a combined 143,000 shares of company stock and options \u2014 more than all sales by insiders in the years of 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022 combined, according to an analysis of company filings from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In total, the four executives sold roughly $6.3 million worth of Koppers company stock. Financial analysts who track so-called \u201cinsider\u201d transactions by executives at publicly-traded companies say they usually flag stock sales worth more than $500,000 by any one executive.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wpb_text_column wpb_content_element \" >\n\t<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" id=\"datawrapper-chart-S12xC\" style=\"border: none;\" title=\"After violations at Cicero plant last fall, Kopppers\u2019 executives sold company stock at an unprecedented rate\" src=\"https:\/\/datawrapper.dwcdn.net\/S12xC\/13\/\" width=\"700\" height=\"700\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" aria-label=\"Column Chart\" data-external=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wpb_text_column wpb_content_element \" >\n\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Illinois EPA has referred more than 3,500 civil enforcement cases to the state attorney general\u2019s office since 2000.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Unless an outside party requests a copy of the violation notices through an open-records request, like MuckRock and the <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Independiente<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> did, the vast majority are never made public.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Koppers didn\u2019t respond directly to questions about stock sales made by Koppers executives, the specifics of the alleged violations or possible legal enforcement by the Illinois Attorney General\u2019s office. Two of the Koppers\u2019 executives, Ball and Sullivan,<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> underwent changes to their job titles and roles<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> at the beginning of the year, and Koppers\u2019 stock is trading near a 52-week high, above $50 a share. The company declined to comment on what it called \u201cspeculation or regulatory actions.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In a statement, the company said it continues to invest in systems to protect the environment and cited the new \u201cprocess automation project\u201d that the company says will reduce or eliminate problems like the ones responsible for their most recent violations.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Illinois EPA said in a statement that it doesn\u2019t discuss pending or future enforcement actions and declined to answer questions from the <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Independiente<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and MuckRock about the most recent disputed violations. Officials with the town of Cicero and village of Stickney didn\u2019t respond to multiple requests for comment.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But government leaders in both Cicero and Stickney are well aware of the mounting legal troubles for Koppers, known as one of the region\u2019s biggest employers, a longtime community \u201cpartner,\u201d in the company\u2019s words, and a significant source of tax revenue. After MuckRock and the <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Independiente<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> published its first investigation about Koppers in December, the company enlisted a crisis communications firm to meet with local elected officials, answer questions about the story and create a community advisory panel to deal with the fallout.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wpb_text_column wpb_content_element \" >\n\t<div id=\"DC-note-2427552\" class=\"DC-embed DC-embed-note DC-note-container\" style=\"max-width: 750px;\"><\/div>\n<p><script src=\"https:\/\/www.documentcloud.org\/notes\/loader.js\"><\/script><br \/>\n<script>\ndc.embed.loadNote('https:\/\/embed.documentcloud.org\/documents\/24414219-dillon_bergin_responsive_docs_redacted2\/annotations\/2427552.js');\n<\/script><br \/>\n<noscript><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/embed.documentcloud.org\/documents\/24414219-dillon_bergin_responsive_docs_redacted2\/annotations\/2427552\">View note<\/a><br \/>\n<\/noscript><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wpb_text_column wpb_content_element \" >\n\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Meeting minutes from the village of Stickney show that the \u201cKoppers Community Advisory Panel\u201d has twice met with about 20 local officials, including Stickney\u2019s mayor, fire chief and public works director, at a YMCA in Berwyn, on Dec. 1 and Feb. 6, with plans to meet four times a year.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No public notice of the meeting, as required under the Illinois Open Meetings Act, was provided beforehand. It\u2019s unclear what community groups, if any, attended the meetings. The meetings included a \u201cnice luncheon,\u201d said Stickney\u2019s clerk, Audrey McAdams, and she noted that Stickney \u201chas had an exceptionally long relationship with Koppers, and it is a good rapport for us to have this level of input.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The goal of these Koppers meetings, according to the village minutes, is to \u201cimprove communications between the company and the community.\u201d Several elected and appointed officials in Cicero and Stickney and both Koppers and the public-relations firm organizing the meetings didn\u2019t respond to repeated questions from the <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Independiente<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and MuckRock about its behind-the-scenes and closed-door response to the newsrooms\u2019 coverage.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"twenty-years-of-run-ins-with-environmental-regulators\">Twenty years of run-ins with environmental regulators<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Last fall\u2019s violations were only the most recent out of 10 separate notices the plant has received since 2000, according to documents MuckRock and the <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Independiente<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> obtained through open-records requests to the Illinois EPA. Over the years, the EPA has accused the plant of spilling 1,000 pounds of o-xylene, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/wwwn.cdc.gov\/TSP\/ToxFAQs\/ToxFAQsDetails.aspx?faqid=295&amp;toxid=53\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">a chemical used in paint, gasoline, paint thinners<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">;<\/span><\/a> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">dumping chemicals like toxic crude coke oven tar on their property<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">; and an overall lack of monitoring and controls that air pollution equipment run correctly and efficiently.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One of the most oft-cited alleged environmental violations against Koppers is the company\u2019s failure to operate a type of equipment called a thermal oxidizer at the right temperature. The technology uses extreme heat to break down the hazardous gasses produced in plant operations. It\u2019s essentially a high temperature oven that \u201ccooks\u201d gasses until they burn into less harmful compounds.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Thermal oxidizers are the main way to control volatile organic compounds \u2014\u00a0 gasses that can cause short-term and chronic health problems \u2014 and these gasses have a strong odor. The problems that Koppers has encountered with its thermal oxidizers could be related to the strong and foul odors that residents of Cicero have complained about for generations, said Hannah Horowitz, assistant professor of environmental engineering at the University of Illinois.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIf there\u2019s an issue with a thermal oxidizer, then that would mean volatile organic compounds aren\u2019t being oxidized completely to carbon dioxide and water, so these \u2018intermediate compounds\u2019 would potentially leak out,\u201d <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Horowitz <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">said. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Intermediate compounds, Horowitz said, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">can be<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> gasses with strong, unique odors.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The most-recent violations deal mostly with alleged equipment malfunctions that happened over the course of a year, from July 2022 to<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> September 2023<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, including issues with the plant\u2019s thermal oxidizer at its naphthalene distillation plant.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Naphthalene, a chemical contained in fuels like petroleum and used in pesticides like moth balls, can cause headaches and dizziness. According to documents MuckRock and <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Independiente<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> received in open-records requests, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Koppers constructed a new naphthalene distillation plant in 2019<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Since then, Koppers has received as many citations as it did in the two decades before \u2014 all but one for alleged failure to control air pollution.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Illinois EPA claims that Koppers\u2019 equipment <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">frequently malfunctioned, increasing the levels of hazardous chemicals<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> emitted into the air. Koppers failed to manage the equipment as required by its permit, often in ways that could have limited or controlled the pollution, the EPA found. In one violation, the EPA went as far to say that Koppers generally <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">failed to follow \u201cgood-operating practices.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In almost every response to the individual violations, Koppers wrote that they \u201crespectfully disagreed.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wpb_text_column wpb_content_element \" >\n\t<div id=\"DC-note-2427555\" class=\"DC-embed DC-embed-note DC-note-container\" style=\"max-width: 750px;\"><\/div>\n<p><script src=\"https:\/\/www.documentcloud.org\/notes\/loader.js\"><\/script><br \/>\n<script>\ndc.embed.loadNote('https:\/\/embed.documentcloud.org\/documents\/24414217-koppers_response_a_2023_001621\/annotations\/2427555.js');\n<\/script><br \/>\n<noscript><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/embed.documentcloud.org\/documents\/24414217-koppers_response_a_2023_001621\/annotations\/2427555\">View note<\/a><br \/>\n<\/noscript><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wpb_text_column wpb_content_element \" >\n\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Responding to the alleged uncontrolled emissions, Koppers wrote that <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">their own calculations show they were under the levels required by the EPA<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">that they<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> self-reported the malfunctions to the EPA on time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In addition to their disputes with the Illinois EPA, Koppers stressed that they have recently <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cinvested in and commissioned several projects\u201d<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to address safety concerns and processes that led to the malfunctions and excess pollution. The plant said that it <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">will correct \u201cfaulty programming\u201d<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> at their naphthalene facility that led to the malfunctions, but public records obtained by MuckRock and the<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Independiente<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> show that less than two weeks later, on Dec. 15, 2023, an <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201coperator error\u201d<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> caused the plant\u2019s naphthalene thermal oxidizer to shut down for several hours that evening, causing hours of increased pollution of the chemical.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wpb_text_column wpb_content_element \" >\n\t<div id=\"DC-note-2427554\" class=\"DC-embed DC-embed-note DC-note-container\" style=\"max-width: 750px;\"><\/div>\n<p><script src=\"https:\/\/www.documentcloud.org\/notes\/loader.js\"><\/script><br \/>\n<script>\ndc.embed.loadNote('https:\/\/embed.documentcloud.org\/documents\/24414218-031300aaj_ssm_report4\/annotations\/2427554.js');\n<\/script><br \/>\n<noscript><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/embed.documentcloud.org\/documents\/24414218-031300aaj_ssm_report4\/annotations\/2427554\">View note<\/a><br \/>\n<\/noscript><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wpb_text_column wpb_content_element \" >\n\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The attorney general\u2019s office confirmed that it received referrals from the Illinois EPA related to Koppers that are currently under review by its Environmental Enforcement and Asbestos Litigation Division, which has civil enforcement authority.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In an emailed response to questions about what those referrals could mean for Koppers, the Illinois EPA said that it couldn\u2019t comment about specific details, but that it \u201chas recovered millions of dollars from polluters and required companies to undertake environmental improvement projects in communities impacted by pollution around Illinois.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The lag time between referrals and a lawsuit or settlement isn\u2019t surprising, and could mean <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">that financial<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> settlement is on the horizon, according to Rob Weinstock, an attorney and director of Northwestern University&#8217;s Environmental Advocacy Center, a group in the university&#8217;s law clinic that litigates cases related to environment, climate and energy in Illinois.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIt&#8217;s reasonable to think that the attorney general\u2019s office is trying to negotiate a resolution with the company so that the complaint and the settlement are filed on this at the same <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">time,\u201d<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Weinstock said. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">some settlements, Weinstock said that polluters have also agreed<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to fund environmental projects in the community affected by their pollution.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Towns like Cicero face a unique challenge, at least compared to nearby Chicago neighborhoods. Even if progress is made on controlling pollution in Chicago, any enforcement in Cicero or Stickney is in the hands of the Illinois EPA and local government agencies.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cCicero, like West Chicago, like Joliet, like any number of communities outside of Chicago, fits in this strange place where they are relying on the state agency, and the local government often either lacks the will or the resources [to act],\u201d Weinstock said.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"closed-door-meetings-solicitations-for-a-class-action-lawsuit-state-legislation-and-a-threat\">Closed-door meetings, solicitations for a class-action lawsuit, state legislation \u2014 and a threat<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\t\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div> \n\n\t<div  class=\"vc_col-sm-2 vc_hidden-sm vc_hidden-xs wpb_column column_container vc_column_container col no-extra-padding inherit_tablet inherit_phone \"  data-padding-pos=\"all\" data-has-bg-color=\"false\" data-bg-color=\"\" data-bg-opacity=\"1\" data-animation=\"\" data-delay=\"0\" >\n\t\t<div class=\"vc_column-inner\" >\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div> \n<\/div><\/div>\n\t\t<div id=\"fws_69dd0c226ef5d\"  data-column-margin=\"default\" data-midnight=\"dark\"  class=\"wpb_row vc_row-fluid vc_row article-image\"  style=\"padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; \"><div class=\"row-bg-wrap\" data-bg-animation=\"none\" data-bg-animation-delay=\"\" data-bg-overlay=\"false\"><div class=\"inner-wrap row-bg-layer\" ><div class=\"row-bg viewport-desktop\"  style=\"\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"row_col_wrap_12 col span_12 dark left\">\n\t<div  class=\"vc_col-sm-12 wpb_column column_container vc_column_container col no-extra-padding inherit_tablet inherit_phone \"  data-padding-pos=\"all\" data-has-bg-color=\"false\" data-bg-color=\"\" data-bg-opacity=\"1\" data-animation=\"\" data-delay=\"0\" >\n\t\t<div class=\"vc_column-inner\" >\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"img-with-aniamtion-wrap center\" data-max-width=\"100%\" data-max-width-mobile=\"default\" data-shadow=\"none\" data-animation=\"fade-in\" >\r\n      <div class=\"inner\">\r\n        <div class=\"hover-wrap\"> \r\n          <div class=\"hover-wrap-inner\">\r\n            <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-with-animation skip-lazy \" data-delay=\"0\" height=\"1079\" width=\"1920\" data-animation=\"fade-in\" src=\"https:\/\/borderlessmag.org\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Drone-zoomed-in-neighborhood-photo.png\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/borderlessmag.org\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Drone-zoomed-in-neighborhood-photo.png 1920w, https:\/\/borderlessmag.org\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Drone-zoomed-in-neighborhood-photo-1536x863.png 1536w, https:\/\/borderlessmag.org\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Drone-zoomed-in-neighborhood-photo-900x506.png 900w, https:\/\/borderlessmag.org\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Drone-zoomed-in-neighborhood-photo-1245x700.png 1245w, https:\/\/borderlessmag.org\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Drone-zoomed-in-neighborhood-photo-768x432.png 768w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1450px) 75vw, (min-width: 1000px) 85vw, 100vw\" \/>\r\n         <\/div>\r\n      <\/div><span class=\"vc_figure-caption ccfic-text media-caption\">Cicero, Ill., residential homes on November 25, 2023. <\/span><span class=\"media-credit\">Jesus J. Montero of the Cicero Independiente<\/span><\/div><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div> \n<\/div><\/div>\n\t\t<div id=\"fws_69dd0c226fcc0\"  data-column-margin=\"default\" data-midnight=\"dark\"  class=\"wpb_row vc_row-fluid vc_row\"  style=\"padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; \"><div class=\"row-bg-wrap\" data-bg-animation=\"none\" data-bg-animation-delay=\"\" data-bg-overlay=\"false\"><div class=\"inner-wrap row-bg-layer\" ><div class=\"row-bg viewport-desktop\"  style=\"\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"row_col_wrap_12 col span_12 dark left\">\n\t<div  class=\"vc_col-sm-2 vc_hidden-sm vc_hidden-xs wpb_column column_container vc_column_container col no-extra-padding inherit_tablet inherit_phone \"  data-padding-pos=\"all\" data-has-bg-color=\"false\" data-bg-color=\"\" data-bg-opacity=\"1\" data-animation=\"\" data-delay=\"0\" >\n\t\t<div class=\"vc_column-inner\" >\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div> \n\n\t<div  class=\"vc_col-sm-8 wpb_column column_container vc_column_container col padding-3-percent inherit_tablet inherit_phone \"  data-padding-pos=\"all\" data-has-bg-color=\"false\" data-bg-color=\"\" data-bg-opacity=\"1\" data-animation=\"\" data-delay=\"0\" >\n\t\t<div class=\"vc_column-inner\" >\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\n<div class=\"wpb_text_column wpb_content_element \" >\n\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cicero Independiente<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and MuckRock have been reporting on air quality in Cicero and pollution from Koppers and other companies as part of our project, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ciceroindependiente.com\/english\/cicero-news-industrial-air-pollution-amazon-kropp-forge-corey-steel-koppers-laramie-ave-environmental-justice\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThe Air We Breathe.\u201d<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Last summer, our newsrooms purchased three PurpleAir sensors and helped install them on volunteers\u2019 homes to collect our own air quality data. Those sensors found that Cicero\u2019s air quality is much worse than surrounding Cook County neighborhoods and worse than what the federal EPA and pilot programs run by the city and Microsoft have routinely reported.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After hearing from several residents who were concerned about pollution coming from Koppers, we requested public records and data about the plant\u2019s compliance record with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. We discovered that not only did Koppers emit more of two cancer-linked chemicals than any other facility in Cook County \u2014 the plant had also just received a lengthy list of violations for not correctly controlling the release of these pollutants.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When the <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Independiente<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2019s journalists took the findings to a town board meeting, Cicero\u2019s town board president, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.muckrock.com\/news\/archives\/2023\/dec\/18\/cicero-town-president-Independiente-journalist-first-amendment\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Larry Dominick, criticized the journalists, calling them \u201cjerks.\u201d<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> He then threatened to bar their reporters from speaking during public meetings, a clear violation of the First Amendment of the Constitution, experts said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Aside from a general statement pledging it would keep surrounding communities like Cicero and Stickney \u201csafe places to live and work,\u201d Koppers has said little publicly about the Illinois EPA violations notice. But the company hired a crisis communications firm, Mary Ann Green Communications, which arranged meetings with Cicero town officials and proposed a \u201ccommunity advisory panel\u201d to answer questions about the investigation\u2019s findings. Details of those meetings or the community panel haven\u2019t been made public.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The surrounding community responded, too.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A personal-injury law firm in Indiana, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.marshallslaw.com\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Marshall P. Whalley and Associates<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, began distributing letters to residents in Cicero, offering a free consultation with the firm to potentially pursue a class-action lawsuit against Koppers, with another law firm that specializes in environmental litigation.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\t\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div> \n\n\t<div  class=\"vc_col-sm-2 vc_hidden-sm vc_hidden-xs wpb_column column_container vc_column_container col no-extra-padding inherit_tablet inherit_phone \"  data-padding-pos=\"all\" data-has-bg-color=\"false\" data-bg-color=\"\" data-bg-opacity=\"1\" data-animation=\"\" data-delay=\"0\" >\n\t\t<div class=\"vc_column-inner\" >\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div> \n<\/div><\/div>\n\t\t<div id=\"fws_69dd0c2270d45\"  data-column-margin=\"default\" data-midnight=\"dark\"  class=\"wpb_row vc_row-fluid vc_row\"  style=\"padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; \"><div class=\"row-bg-wrap\" data-bg-animation=\"none\" data-bg-animation-delay=\"\" data-bg-overlay=\"false\"><div class=\"inner-wrap row-bg-layer\" ><div class=\"row-bg viewport-desktop\"  style=\"\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"row_col_wrap_12 col span_12 dark left\">\n\t<div  class=\"vc_col-sm-2 vc_hidden-sm vc_hidden-xs wpb_column column_container vc_column_container col no-extra-padding inherit_tablet inherit_phone \"  data-padding-pos=\"all\" data-has-bg-color=\"false\" data-bg-color=\"\" data-bg-opacity=\"1\" data-animation=\"\" data-delay=\"0\" >\n\t\t<div class=\"vc_column-inner\" >\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div> \n\n\t<div  class=\"vc_col-sm-8 wpb_column column_container vc_column_container col padding-3-percent inherit_tablet inherit_phone \"  data-padding-pos=\"all\" data-has-bg-color=\"false\" data-bg-color=\"\" data-bg-opacity=\"1\" data-animation=\"\" data-delay=\"0\" >\n\t\t<div class=\"vc_column-inner\" >\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"img-with-aniamtion-wrap center\" data-max-width=\"100%\" data-max-width-mobile=\"default\" data-shadow=\"none\" data-animation=\"fade-in\"  style=\"margin-top: 3%; margin-bottom: 3%; \">\r\n      <div class=\"inner\">\r\n        <div class=\"hover-wrap\"> \r\n          <div class=\"hover-wrap-inner\">\r\n            <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-with-animation skip-lazy \" data-delay=\"0\" height=\"1650\" width=\"1274\" data-animation=\"fade-in\" src=\"https:\/\/borderlessmag.org\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Solicitation-Letter-1.png\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/borderlessmag.org\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Solicitation-Letter-1.png 1274w, https:\/\/borderlessmag.org\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Solicitation-Letter-1-1186x1536.png 1186w, https:\/\/borderlessmag.org\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Solicitation-Letter-1-463x600.png 463w, https:\/\/borderlessmag.org\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Solicitation-Letter-1-641x830.png 641w, https:\/\/borderlessmag.org\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Solicitation-Letter-1-768x995.png 768w, https:\/\/borderlessmag.org\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Solicitation-Letter-1-988x1280.png 988w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1450px) 75vw, (min-width: 1000px) 85vw, 100vw\" \/>\r\n         <\/div>\r\n      <\/div><span class=\"vc_figure-caption ccfic-text media-caption\">A Crown Point, Indiana, law firm, Marshall P. Whalley and Associates, P.C., solicitation letter dated Jan. 9, 2024, provides information about possible litigation due to the odors in proximity to Koppers\u2019 Coal Tar Facility and surrounding Cicero residents. <\/span><span class=\"media-credit\">Courtesy of Cicero resident<\/span><\/div><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div> \n\n\t<div  class=\"vc_col-sm-2 vc_hidden-sm vc_hidden-xs wpb_column column_container vc_column_container col no-extra-padding inherit_tablet inherit_phone \"  data-padding-pos=\"all\" data-has-bg-color=\"false\" data-bg-color=\"\" data-bg-opacity=\"1\" data-animation=\"\" data-delay=\"0\" >\n\t\t<div class=\"vc_column-inner\" >\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div> \n<\/div><\/div>\n\t\t<div id=\"fws_69dd0c22721fb\"  data-column-margin=\"default\" data-midnight=\"dark\"  class=\"wpb_row vc_row-fluid vc_row\"  style=\"padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; \"><div class=\"row-bg-wrap\" data-bg-animation=\"none\" data-bg-animation-delay=\"\" data-bg-overlay=\"false\"><div class=\"inner-wrap row-bg-layer\" ><div class=\"row-bg viewport-desktop\"  style=\"\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"row_col_wrap_12 col span_12 dark left\">\n\t<div  class=\"vc_col-sm-2 vc_hidden-sm vc_hidden-xs wpb_column column_container vc_column_container col no-extra-padding inherit_tablet inherit_phone \"  data-padding-pos=\"all\" data-has-bg-color=\"false\" data-bg-color=\"\" data-bg-opacity=\"1\" data-animation=\"\" data-delay=\"0\" >\n\t\t<div class=\"vc_column-inner\" >\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div> \n\n\t<div  class=\"vc_col-sm-8 wpb_column column_container vc_column_container col padding-3-percent inherit_tablet inherit_phone \"  data-padding-pos=\"all\" data-has-bg-color=\"false\" data-bg-color=\"\" data-bg-opacity=\"1\" data-animation=\"\" data-delay=\"0\" >\n\t\t<div class=\"vc_column-inner\" >\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\n<div class=\"wpb_text_column wpb_content_element \" >\n\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Illinois State Sen. Javier Cervantes, who represents the first district which includes Cicero and the Koppers plant, said he would support a series of environmental-justice bills in the state General Assembly this year, pointing specifically to a Senate bill that would almost double the maximum possible fine that environmental polluters face.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThis is not OK and I\u2019m fully aware. We need change,\u201d said Cervantes, who was born with a cleft lip that, he said, was caused due to his mother\u2019s exposure to toxic chemicals during pregnancy. \u201cWe have to figure out a way where we hold [the Koppers plant] accountable. They have to be responsible to the community.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And a Cicero citizens\u2019 group, Corazon Community Services, urged Cicero town leaders and the state EPA to regularly hold meetings with area residents about the region\u2019s poor air quality. \u201c<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There should be constant pressure and demands against Koppers to address the environmental damage it has caused the community for years,\u201d the group said in a statement.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Neither the Illinois EPA nor Koppers would say when, or if, they met to discuss the latest alleged environmental violations. As a result, one of the only ways to find out what happened will be to submit an Illinois Freedom of Information Act request for emails and memos.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\t\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div> \n\n\t<div  class=\"vc_col-sm-2 vc_hidden-sm vc_hidden-xs wpb_column column_container vc_column_container col no-extra-padding inherit_tablet inherit_phone \"  data-padding-pos=\"all\" data-has-bg-color=\"false\" data-bg-color=\"\" data-bg-opacity=\"1\" data-animation=\"\" data-delay=\"0\" >\n\t\t<div class=\"vc_column-inner\" >\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div> \n<\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Despu\u00e9s de que la EPA de Illinois les enviara un largo aviso de infracci\u00f3n el pasado oto\u00f1o, los ejecutivos de Koppers empezaron a vender acciones a un ritmo sin precedentes. Despu\u00e9s de que MuckRock y Cicero Independiente informaran de esas infracciones, la empresa, que cotiza en bolsa, contrat\u00f3 a una empresa de comunicaci\u00f3n de crisis para que se reuniera con los cargos electos y gestionara las consecuencias para la comunidad.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":21527,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[325,66],"tags":[539],"coauthors":[540,541,542,543],"class_list":{"0":"post-21532","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-environmentandhealth","8":"category-investigation","9":"tag-koppersviolations"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.3 (Yoast SEO v27.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Koppers disputes most recent environmental violations but plant records reveal two decades of run-ins with Illinois EPA &#8211; Borderless Magazine NFP<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"After the Illinois EPA sent them a lengthy violations notice last fall, Koppers executives began selling stock at an unprecedented rate. After MuckRock and the Cicero Independiente reported on those violations, the publicly-traded company hired a crisis communications firm to meet with elected officials and manage the community fallout.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/borderlessmag.org\/es\/2024\/02\/13\/koppers-environmental-violations-plant-records-illinois-epa-cicero-independiente\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"es_MX\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Koppers disputes most recent environmental violations but plant records reveal two decades of run-ins with Illinois EPA &#8211; Environment and Health &#8211; Borderless Magazine NFP\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Koppers disputes most recent environmental violations but plant records reveal two decades of run-ins with Illinois EPA &#8211; Environment and Health &#8211; 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