Greenpeace

In January, Greenpeace’s Arctic Sunrise coasted into Wilmington, North Carolina for the first stop of the Coal Free Future ship tour. While in town, we brought attention to dirty coal used by Progress Energy’s Sutton plant, and dirty coal that would be used by the proposed Titan America cement plant.

It was a thrill for me to return to Wilmington, where I lived and organized in the community before joining Greenpeace on staff. I was very happy to see that the fight against Titan is still going strong. Titan plans to build one of the largest cement plants in the nation right on the banks of the biodiverse Cape Fear River. For almost three years, Wilmington residents have fought the proposed plant, which will burn 150,000 tons of dirty coal each year and spew out particulates, heavy metals, and other toxins. 8,500 school children are within a five-mile radius of the proposed plant, where most of the pollutants will fall.

Over the years, Titan has tried, in vain, to assure the Wilmington community that they’ll be a good neighbor, they’ll follow the strictest environmental regulations, and that Titan is a positive choice for the community.  Even if Titan does follow the strictest environmental regulations, it’s not enough because those standards are not protective of human health and the environment. Many Wilmington residents don’t believe Titan’s promises. When I lived in town, I certainly didn’t buy it and I don’t buy it today.

People are pissed off and community members are getting organized. They are collecting thousands of petitions, holding rallies, fundraisers, and massive lobby days, attending county commissioner meetings, and calling local elected officials and on Governor Bev Purdue to stop Titan.

Well whatever is a poor, heartbroken multi-billion dollar international corporation to do, except attack people’s freedom of speech?

Well guess what? The other week Titan had its legal team to bring a strategic lawsuit against public participation (SLAPP) of over $75,000 in damages for comments two medical professionals made at a New Hanover County Commissioners meeting on February 1, 2010. Kayne Darrell, a mother and radiographer, and Dr. David Hill, a pediatrician – one of over 200 Wilmington physicians opposed to the plant, are being sued for alleged slander, which requires falsity; however, there is factual basis for their statements. Nevertheless, two concerned citizens are being sued after their tireless work in the community to educate their neighbors about the health impacts of the proposed cement plant.

Just like many others in the Wilmington community, I was shocked that Titan would stoop so incredibly low, to use their financial prowess to intimidate concerned citizens and attempt to silence the truth. Lucky for Wilmington and our planet, Titan’s plan to strike fear in the hearts of its opposition has backfired.

Upon hearing the news, several letters to the editor, an op-ed, and calls into local radio shows demonstrated widespread concern and anger about what appears to be a frivolous lawsuit. In fact, 25 states have enacted Anti-SLAPP (strategic lawsuits against public participation), but North Carolina is not one of them.

Now the community is fired up, and there is no sign of folks quieting down. On Saturday, 200 people attended a solidarity rally supporting Kayne and Dr. Hill. Children, mothers, fathers, doctors, students, senior citizens – many concerned voices joined in unison chanting in this video, “Titan: you can’t silence us!”

Brinkley Hutchings, a UNCW student and Greenpeace activist, helped organize Saturday’s event. She was overwhelmed by the support and vowed to continue organizing in the community to stop Titan. Kayne Darrell burst into tears during the rally. She was so moved with the outpouring of support from people whom she had never met, but who felt compelled to join the rally because they are outraged by Titan’s attacks on these honest, concerned citizens.

A legal fund has been set up for Kayne and Dr. Hill's fees. To donate, click here. To support Wilmington in opposing the Titan cement plant, sign this petition here.

I wish that I could be in Wilmington helping and standing by Kayne and Dr. Hill’s side. Make no mistake: this is Wilmington's moment. This is the moment where Stop Titan as a movement can say enough of this nonsense. It is WRONG that Kayne and Dr. Hill are being sued. And it is UNJUST if Titan gets away with it, or if North Carolina decision makers are not urged to stand up for citizens’ rights, and the health of the Wilmington community.

Mahatma Gandhi, who led the nonviolent movement for a free India, said this: "First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win." Titan is certainly fighting right now. I urge everyone in Wilmington to keep up the pressure, keep up the fight. Stand up to Titan’s Goliath tactics, like lawsuits, with fearless resolve.

My heart goes out to Kayne, Dr. Hill, and every single community member in Wilmington fighting for a better future. Onward toward clean air and water in Wilmington, North Carolina!