2015 June 03
MAT Leasing Inc donates to Friends Of George A Cardenas $750
2015 Dec 31
MAT Leasing Inc donates to Friends of George A Cardenas $10,800.00
2017 Mar 29
With Alderman Cardenas’ support, residential property PD934 is rezoned, necessary for MAT Asphalt to open.
2017 April 24
Law firm Daley & Georges writes a letter to the Zoning Board seeking zoning approval for the MAT Asphalt facility. This letter explicitly mentions Cardenas supporting the rezoning of PD934. It also lists the address of the MAT asphalt plant as 4010 S. Damen Ave; all other paperwork lists the address as 2055 W. Pershing Ave.
2017 July 17
MAT Asphalt files an application with the Illinois EPA (ILEPA) for a construction permit. On the same day, Friends of George A Cardenas returns $10,050 to MAT Leasing.
2017 July 18
ILEPA acknowledges in an internal email that “This facility [MAT Asphalt] is located in an [Environmental Justice] area.” This begins a 90 day window to complete an Environmental Justice review.
2017 July 29
MAT Leasing donates to $10,500 to TwelvePAC, which lists George Cardenas as chairman and treasurer.
2017 Sept 20
An internal ILEPA email says “That [MAT Asphalt air permit application] file is on [IL EPA staff’s] desk waiting to be reviewed.”
2017 OCT 11
Internal EPA emails describe a botched, shortened process: “When the [MAT Asphalt] application was received in July [2017], we had problems submitting the review and then we dropped the ball until today. The 90th day for the application will be on Sunday, October 15th. This means that we effectively have until Friday to process this application. Is it possible to have an expedited review of the EJ request we submitted?”
2017 Oct 12
The Illinois EPA mails the legally required Environmental Justice Letter to Alderman Cardenas. Several elected officials supposedly on the mailing list have denied ever receiving this letter, including State Sen. Tony Munoz and State Rep. Theresa Mah.
2017 Oct 26
ILEPA issues a construction permit that also allows the plant to operate for up to a year.
2017 Nov 03
The City of Chicago issues an Air Pollution Control Permit to MAT Asphalt
2018 Mar 28
Word breaks in a community Facebook group that the asphalt plant will be opening in April.
2018 Apr 15
Regular meeting of the McKinley Park Civic Association becomes the first open forum about the asphalt plant. 40 people attended and asked questions of Alderman Cardenas’s Chief of Staff.
2018 Apr 20
Just in time for Earth Day, McKinley Park residents install a Purple Air monitor to monitor air quality before the asphalt plant opens.
2018 Apr 25
The 12th Ward Independent Political Organization organizes a 2nd community meeting at the McKinley Park Library. 200 people attended, including Alderman Cardenas and representatives from MAT Asphalt. At this meeting the MAT Asphalt reps disclose that the plant expects to have 100-200 trucks per day coming and going.