Spring Break
Charges halt Bergman's reappointment
Molly Beck
Issue date: 10/31/05 Section: News
ISU Board of Trustee member Jay D. Bergman will not be considered for reappointment until charges brought on by Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan have been resolved.
"We're just waiting for the conclusion of the pending case," Gerardo Cardenas, Gov. Rod Blagojevich's Chicago Press Secretary, said.
In October 2004, Madigan filed a six-count complaint alleging that Bergman's company, Petco Petroleum, contributed to water pollution and water quality violations in Fayette County.
"We are suing his company, Petco Petroleum," Thomas Davis, Assistant Attorney General in Springfield, said.
"The case is still pending - we had amended our complaint once to add an additional release or two which occurred since the first one and then in August of this year there were two more releases. I'm awaiting the reports on those and then I'll probably be amending again."
The amending of the complaint is in reference to three oil spills that occurred between June and August of this year in Jefferson County and Fayette County.
According to the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency's Emergency Operations Unit, the incidents included one crude oil spill and two saltwater spills.
On June 22, Cheryl Cahnovsky of the EOU in Collinsville reported about 20 gallons of crude oil and an unestimated amount of saltwater spilled into an unnamed tributary to Snow Creek in Jefferson County.
On Aug. 22, Tom Powell of the EOU in Collinsville reported 6,300 gallons of saltwater were spilled into groundwater in Fayette County. Powell reported another saltwater spill on Aug. 26.
"We have been in contact with the Student Environmental Action Coalition at ISU and we will keep them up to date with the case," Davis said.
Since the complaint was filed, SEAC has been educating students and offering petitions for them to sign to keep Bergman from being reappointed.
"Last Monday SEAC sent out a press release for a two-fold purpose. One was to let students know that we are still collecting signatures for our petition, and second we wanted to educate the campus about three new oil spills that have happened by Mr. Bergman's company," Amy Butterworth, senior political science major and co-president of SEAC, said.
"Basically where we stand now is we are waiting to meet with the governor and keep collecting signatures until we meet with him."
Butterworth said she believes Blagojevich may be stalling for political reasons.
"I don't understand why it is so hard for the governor. I know Mr. Bergman has contributed a lot to his campaign so that's a big issue but I know he is receiving pressure from the Illinois Senate to remove Bergman," she said.
"We're just waiting for the conclusion of the pending case," Gerardo Cardenas, Gov. Rod Blagojevich's Chicago Press Secretary, said.
In October 2004, Madigan filed a six-count complaint alleging that Bergman's company, Petco Petroleum, contributed to water pollution and water quality violations in Fayette County.
"We are suing his company, Petco Petroleum," Thomas Davis, Assistant Attorney General in Springfield, said.
"The case is still pending - we had amended our complaint once to add an additional release or two which occurred since the first one and then in August of this year there were two more releases. I'm awaiting the reports on those and then I'll probably be amending again."
The amending of the complaint is in reference to three oil spills that occurred between June and August of this year in Jefferson County and Fayette County.
According to the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency's Emergency Operations Unit, the incidents included one crude oil spill and two saltwater spills.
On June 22, Cheryl Cahnovsky of the EOU in Collinsville reported about 20 gallons of crude oil and an unestimated amount of saltwater spilled into an unnamed tributary to Snow Creek in Jefferson County.
On Aug. 22, Tom Powell of the EOU in Collinsville reported 6,300 gallons of saltwater were spilled into groundwater in Fayette County. Powell reported another saltwater spill on Aug. 26.
"We have been in contact with the Student Environmental Action Coalition at ISU and we will keep them up to date with the case," Davis said.
Since the complaint was filed, SEAC has been educating students and offering petitions for them to sign to keep Bergman from being reappointed.
"Last Monday SEAC sent out a press release for a two-fold purpose. One was to let students know that we are still collecting signatures for our petition, and second we wanted to educate the campus about three new oil spills that have happened by Mr. Bergman's company," Amy Butterworth, senior political science major and co-president of SEAC, said.
"Basically where we stand now is we are waiting to meet with the governor and keep collecting signatures until we meet with him."
Butterworth said she believes Blagojevich may be stalling for political reasons.
"I don't understand why it is so hard for the governor. I know Mr. Bergman has contributed a lot to his campaign so that's a big issue but I know he is receiving pressure from the Illinois Senate to remove Bergman," she said.