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‘The Air We Breathe:’ How industry is polluting Cicero’s air
11 Articles
![A crowd of people looking into a secret meeting](https://cdn.muckrock.com/news_images/2024/07/08/2024_Koppers_2400x800.PNG.2400x800_q85_crop.png.800x600_q85_crop.png)
Elected officials are opting out of secret Koppers community meetings about air pollution.
The Illinois EPA has created a Koppers resource website, with documents related to all four Illinois EPA violations, due to “significant public interest” in the facility. And the state attorney general’s office said it received more information from the Illinois EPA related to Koppers’ alleged violations in December, saying in a statement that it is “evaluating the matter.”
![People looking inside a private meeting](https://cdn.muckrock.com/news_images/2024/04/08/2024_Koppers_2400x800.PNG.800x600_q85_crop.png)
The inside story on a billion-dollar chemical company’s fight to keep its secrets from the public
After the Cicero Independiente and MuckRock published investigative articles about air pollution and the chemicals company Koppers, it hired a public-relations firm to organize a secret, behind-the-scenes campaign to influence local officials.
![People looking into a private meeting](https://cdn.muckrock.com/news_images/2024/04/08/2024_Koppers_2400x800_ngtbujx.PNG.800x600_q85_crop.png)
La historia interna de la lucha de una empresa química multimillonaria por ocultar sus secretos al público
Después que Cicero Independiente y MuckRock publicaran artículos de investigación sobre la contaminación atmosférica y la empresa química Koppers, ésta contrató a una empresa de relaciones públicas para organizar una campaña secreta entre bastidores para influir a los funcionarios locales.
![Foto de la planta de alquitrán de Koppers](https://cdn.muckrock.com/news_images/2024/02/22/Koppers_banner.png.800x600_q85_crop.png)
Koppers niega las infracciones medioambientales más recientes, pero los registros de la planta revelan dos décadas de enfrentamientos con la EPA de Illinois
Después de que la EPA de Illinois les enviara el otoño pasado un aviso extenso de infracciones, los ejecutivos de Koppers empezaron a vender acciones a un precio sin precedente. Después de que MuckRock y Cicero Independiente reportaron sobre esas violaciones, la compañía que cotiza en bolsa contrató a una empresa de comunicación experta en manejo de crisis para reunirse con funcionarios electos y manejar las consecuencias en la comunidad.
![Photo of Koppers coal tar plant](https://cdn.muckrock.com/news_images/2024/02/12/Koppers_banner_Mu53Djc.png.800x600_q85_crop.png)
Koppers disputes most recent environmental violations but plant records reveal two decades of run-ins with Illinois EPA
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.