FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 4, 2005

On Thursday, May 5 at 5 p.m. in the North Prairie Room of the Bone Student Center, the Student Environmental Action Coalition will be hosting a talk by Illinois Assistant Attorney General Thomas Davis, Chief of the Environmental Bureau. The lecture, “Attorney General’s Enforcement of Environmental Law”, will address environmental law in Illinois including the current case filed by Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan against Petco Petroleum and Jay D. Bergman.

Jay D. Bergman’s term on the Illinois State University Board of Trustees expired in January 2005 and Governor Blagojevich’s decision regarding Bergman’s reappointment is still pending. Bergman is CEO of Petco Petroleum Corporation, which owns over 1,400 oil wells in Illinois. Petco, the largest independent oil producer in Illinois, operates 3.5% of all oil wells in Illinois, and according to court documents, has been responsible for 34% of all oil well related pollution events between 1992 and 2000.

SEAC, a student organization at ISU, launched a petition drive asking the governor not to reappoint Mr. Bergman to the Board of Trustees. In response to the petition, Bergman told the Pantagraph on April 8, "From what I understand, they are so far to the left they make Jane Fonda look like Ronald Reagan." He also remarked, "Their concern is to promote a radical, leftist agenda. I just happen to be their target this semester." Bergman’s comments drew critical remarks from ISU President Al Bowman and others who defended SEAC.

While Bergman did not apologize publicly, he did address a letter to the ISU Academic Senate apologizing for his comments. Elizabeth Smith, an International Business major and treasurer of SEAC, said, “I am concerned that Mr. Bergman did not address or send a copy of the letter to SEAC. Trustee Bergman's letter attempts to justify negligent business practices in pursuit of profit over environmental stewardship.”

Thursday’s lecture was originally intended to be a panel discussion with Jay Bergman, but Mr. Bergman was unable to attend the Thursday event because of a prior engagement.

Thomas Davis has been the Chief of the Environmental Bureau in Springfield since 1991. He is responsible for the management and litigation of civil environmental enforcement and cost recovery cases in 81 downstate counties on behalf of the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Natural Resources, and Office of State Fire Marshal, and supervises seven other attorneys while maintaining a personal caseload.

“SEAC has long accommodated educational activities as events unfold. We were very pleased when Thomas Davis agreed to speak on campus,” said Political Science major and SEAC Co-President Amy Butterworth.

For more information on SEAC, see the SEAC website at seac.pabn.org.

Contact:
Amy Butterworth, SEAC Co-President, 309-454-9229 albutte@ilstu.edu
Rachel Goad, SEAC Co-President, 309-452-6257, rkgoad@ilstu.edu