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Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to speak at St. Olaf on Friday, Dec. 7

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December 3, 2001

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. will be the featured speaker on the topic of "Legal Action Against Giant Animal Factories" at St. Olaf College on Friday, Dec. 7, 10:45 a.m., in the Black and Gold Ballroom, Buntrock Commons. This is the last of a seven-city Water Keeper Alliance Tri-State Whistle Stop Tour through three Midwestern states and the only stop in which Kennedy appears.

Kennedy, an environmental lawyer and president of the Water Keeper Alliance organization, will offer an informational video explaining the nature of and the reasons for various lawsuits that the Water Keeper Alliance has filed against a number of huge confined animal feeding operations, including the lawsuit filed a few months ago against Smithfield Foods. There will be a question and answer period following the video presentation. The lecture, free and open to the public, is co-sponsored by St. Olaf College?s O.C. and Patricia Boldt/NEH Distinguished Chair in the Humanities and the Political Awareness Committee.

Kennedy and the Water Keeper Alliance have assembled a coalition of environmentalists, family farm activists, and animal welfare advocates to fight the pollution of corporate hog operations. The coalition is working to reform the industry, restore damaged ecosystems, and reinvigorate America?s family farms. "By saving money through illegal waste disposal practices, hog factories have artificially lowered their cost of production, driving family farmers from the land," said Kennedy.

Kennedy will discuss federal environmental laws and regulations and Rick Dove, a representative for Water Keepers Alliance, will share his experience against fighting hogs spills and disasters in the Neuse River Basin in North Carolina. The impact of large livestock facilities on the environment and communities in the Midwest will also be discussed.

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. has a reputation as a resolute defender of the environment. He has prosecuted the government and companies for polluting the Hudson River and Long Island Sound, won settlements for the Hudson Riverkeeper, and sued sewage treatment plants to force compliance with the Clean Water Act. A graduate of Harvard University, Kennedy received his law degree at the University of Virginia and a graduate degree in environmental law at Pace University, where he serves as a professor of the Environmental Litigation Clinic.

St. Olaf College, a national leader among liberal arts institutions, prepares students to become responsible citizens of the world, fostering the development of mind, body and spirit. It is a residential college located in Northfield, Minn., and affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The college is recognized as one of the nation?s best values in higher education, providing highly personalized instruction and diverse learning environments. With more than two-thirds of its students participating in international studies, St. Olaf is widely regarded for its prominence in study abroad programs.

Contact Carole Engblom at 507-786-3315 or leigh@stolaf.edu.