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Eight Koppers Plants Achieve Environmental Certification

Eight Koppers Plants Achieve Environmental Certification

Published 01-21-04

Submitted by Koppers Inc.

PITTSBURGH - Eight Koppers plants achieved ISO 14001 certification for their Environmental Management Systems (EMS) in 2003.

"Koppers maintains an ongoing commitment to the environment, which is recognized by this certification," said Walt Turner, president and CEO of Koppers. "The ISO 14001 standard provides a structure to guide our efforts in continuously improving our environmental protection practices."

The ISO 14001 certified plants are in Stickney, Ill., Woodward, Ala., Follansbee, W.Va., and Clairton, Pa., (Carbon Materials and Chemicals) and Green Spring, W.Va., Superior, Wis., and Galesburg, Ill., (Railroad Products and Services). In addition, the Kurnell Operation of Continental Carbon, a Koppers facility in New South Wales, Australia, was certified.

At Koppers, Carbon Materials and Chemicals employees distill coal tar into carbon pitch, coal tar distillates, naphthalene, and specialty pitches. Some plants also produce phthalic anhydride. These products support the aluminum, steel, plastic, and coating industries.

Railroad and Utility Products and Services are provided by some 14 U.S. facilities. These plants produce railroad crossties, switch ties, utility poles, piling and other specialty products for the railroad, utility and construction industries.

"This ISO 14001 certification tells the world that Koppers is committed to systematic and sustainable improvement in our environmental programs," said Randall D. Collins, Vice President of Safety, Health and Environmental Affairs. "While we will continue our close attention to meeting all environmental regulations, the standard provides a methodology to seek out potential problems and fix them."

ISO 14001 -- established by the International Organization for Standardization -- is the world's most recognized EMS framework, used by more than 37,000 organizations in 112 countries. Koppers is working to gain certification for all worldwide locations in 2004.

Meeting the standard also provides economic benefits, as certified companies use less energy and fewer natural resources, generate less waste, reduce disposal costs, recycle raw materials and improve process efficiency.

About Koppers
Koppers, with corporate headquarters and a research center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is a global integrated producer of carbon compounds and treated wood products. Including its joint ventures, Koppers operates 39 facilities in the United States, United Kingdom, Denmark, Australia, the Pacific Rim and South Africa. The company's stock is shared by a large number of employee investors and by majority equity owner Saratoga Partners of New York, NY.

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