WASHINGTON, June 25 (UPI) -- Six people protesting U.S. the energy policies will face state and federal charges for climbing a 700-foot power plant smokestack in Pennsylvania.
The protesters, members of Greenpeace, scaled the smokestack at the Hatfield's Ferry power station in the southwestern corner of the state and spent several hours Wednesday on a walkway that circles the stack. The wore T-shirts with the words "Say No to Bush's Dirty Energy Scam," written on them.
They were arrested when they returned to the ground and state authorities Thursday filed felony charges of rioting, burglary and criminal trespass along with three other charges, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported.
Federal charges include efforts to "interrupt" functions of a power plant, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan told the Post-Gazette: "It's one thing to protest, which they are allowed to do, but it's quite another to impair the function of an energy facility. They put the facility workers and themselves in great danger. Their conduct warranted federal charges."
Tom Wetterer, an attorney for Greenpeace, said the power plant was never closed down and federal charges weren't appropriate.
