Dozens arrested during protest of Duke coal plant

Dozens of protesters, including a Sylva man, were arrested Monday near Duke Energy's headquarters as they called on the company to halt construction of a coal-fired power plant in Rutherford County. Police estimated about 250 people gathered in front of the building in Charlotte, loudly but peacefully opposing the $2.4 billion, 800-megawatt generator. Organizers said 44 protesters were arrested on trespassing charges after walking across a line set up by police. Officials from a coalition of environmental groups–which is fighting the project in court and in appeals to state air quality regulators–said they're trying to draw attention to their efforts. Avram Friedman, 59, of Sylva, was the first person arrested. The executive director of the Canary Coalition, a Sylva-based clean air advocacy organization, said he was protesting to help his family. "I'm doing it for my children," Friedman, clad in a gray suit, said as an officer placed him in handcuffs. "This is a real threat. How can we just stand by and watch this go up and not do a thing?" Will Harlan, a magazine editor in Asheville and a Canary Coalition board member, was not at the protest Monday but said that Friedman is passionate about not allowing the power plant to further erode air quality. "He told me he was going to wear a suit to show that this is an educated and civilized protest," Harlan said. "He has always been the most courageous and most honest person in dealing with air quality issues. Five to 10 years ago he was seen as a radical, and now the things he's fighting for–air quality and health and asthma issues–are mainstream." Environmentalists argue the $2.4 billion coal-fired generator will pump tons of carbon dioxide and other pollutants into the sky, but Duke Energy said new technology will reduce the pollutants emitted and their environmental impact. In March, the N.C. Division of Air Quality determined that emissions at the new Cliffside plant will not reach the threshold of a "major" polluter, dealing a blow to environmentalists trying to halt the project. Duke Energy spokeswoman Marilyn Lineberger said Duke respects free speech but has zero tolerance for illegal activities. She said the generator is about 30 percent complete at the company's Cliffside plant, about 40 miles west of Charlotte. Protesters, some of whom were holding signs that read, "Save Our Mountains," and "No New Coal," said they came out because of their deep concern for climate change. "We absolutely accomplished everything we wanted. We demonstrated that we have broad-based support here in Charlotte and North Carolina and the country to stop the proliferation of coal-fired plants," said John Deans, the Greenpeace USA field organizer working with the Cliffside Coalition. "It's a severe threat to the environment. We have to shut them down." Among those arrested was 86-year-old Betty Robinson, of Charlotte, who said she wanted younger generations to live as long as she had in a healthy environment. "They need to stop building this. It has to be stopped," she said, echoing calls from other protesters. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Officer Robert Fey said the amount of time those arrested would have to stay in jail largely depends on whether they have a criminal record. Duke Energy is the largest utility in the state and serves about 4 million electric customers in the Carolinas, Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky, along with 500,000 gas customers in Ohio and Kentucky. It generates electricity in Latin America and is a joint-venture partner in a U.S. real estate company.