Hey, this is Anthony from Neighbors for Environmental Justice. Here are 5 things you should know about MAT Asphalt. 1. This is MAT Asphalt. It’s a hot mix asphalt plant that was built across the street from beautiful McKinley Park and started running in 2018. There was no public notice, even though our Alderman George Cardenas got donations from the developers and supported the project. 2. MAT Asphalt runs on an expired permit. The construction permit issued by the state expired in 2019. They applied for a long term permit, but that application was rejected because they left out a whole category of pollution that would have made them a major source of emissions, subject to federal regulation. The Illinois EPA is letting them keep running while they apply again. They might get a permit hearing this year, but we don’t know for sure. 3. MAT Asphalt is owned by Michael A Tadin Jr, Italian American Executives of Transportation’s 2019 Man Of The Year, who also owns MAT Construction. His dad Michael Tadin Sr owns MAT Leasing, MT Trucking and Marina Cartage among other companies. 4. MAT Asphalt runs on city contracts. MAT Construction gets a resurfacing contract, MAT Asphalt makes the asphalt. They also get the grindings from the construction job, which they cook up and send back out. Up to half of their materials are scraped from the city streets. That means the city is their main customer AND their main supplier. It also raises the very fair question, “how is it clean if it’s former city street?” 5. You can help! Join us in demanding that Chicago cancel the contracts. Report air pollution in McKinley Park with 311, the 311 app, or SmellsBad.Today and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram for updates. You can sign up to volunteer at N4EJ.org