The Center for Public Integrity

A water tower appears through the trees in downtown Chanute, Kan.

The Ash Grove Cement factory sits on the northern edge of the city of Chanute, Kan.

Pedestrians walk the along main street in downtown Chanute, Kan.

Elsie Galemore is the Galemore family matriarch.

The Ash Grove Cement factory sits on the northern edge of the city of Chanute, Kan.

Jeff Galemore leans on his pickup truck near the Ash Grove Cement plant in Chanute, Kan.

A pedestrian crosses the main street in downtown Chanute, Kan.

The Ash Grove Cement factory sits on the northern edge of the city of Chanute, Kan.

Jesse Beck, the environmental manager for the Ponca Tribe – non-Native-American, was involved in the tribe's lawsuit against Continental Carbon.

Dan Jones was chairman of the Ponca Tribe and went with the union to Taiwan during the fight against Continental Carbon over the pollution issue.

Dan Jones was chairman of the Ponca Tribe and went with the union to Taiwan during the fight against Continental Carbon over the pollution issue.

After years of complaints by citizens and inaction by state regulators, much of the black carbon mist has finally lifted in the Oklahoma community where Karen Howe lives.

The Continental Carbon plant sits on the southern outskirts of Ponca City, Okla.