Tribune Chronicle / R. Michael Semple The Rev. Monica Beasley-Martin of the Earth Outreach Mission, left, leads a chant with other environmentalists while holding a gathering Wednesday outside the General Motors Lordstown plant along Hallock Young Road near the GM solar panels that were installed in 2014. The group and several union supporters are trying to convice GM to assign an emission-free vehicle to the plant, which is to be idled March 8.

LORDSTOWN — A group of environmentalists and union supporters wants General Motors to continue with its push to become more green and assign an emission-free vehicle for production at the automaker’s soon-to-be idled plant in Lordstown.

“We are here in full solidarity with the workers of this plant and in firm opposition to the closing, even the idling of this magnificent facility,” said community activist and organizer Werner Lange of Newton Falls. ” This facility has been around for 53 years and produced millions of high-quality vehicles, and we want that proud legacy to continue, not end on March the 8th.”

“And it can continue if General Motors transitions from corporate greed to corporate green and create a future for the environment as well as this plant,” said Lange, who led the group of about 15 Wednesday outside the Lordstown plant’s solar array on Hallock Young Road.

The Lordstown plant is among five in North America the automaker plans to idle this year, but there is a local and state push to convince GM to walk back the decision.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, who met with GM CEO Mary Barra Jan. 17 at GM’s headquarters in Detroit and had communication with a high-level GM official as recently as Friday before meeting with about 70 local officials in Warren, said through a spokesman it’s his belief GM is readying to sell the plant.

Although GM hasn’t formally stated its intentions beyond the March 8 idling date, it’s DeWine’s opinion “General Motors is probably engaged, likely engaged in talks about selling the plant,” said the governor’s spokesman, Dan Tierney.

“But that is just the governor’s impression. He’s heard nothing formally from General Motors,” Tierney said.

The group Wednesday wants GM to allocate an emission-free vehicle and to retool the plant to replace the Chevrolet Cruze, which has been eliminated from the Chevrolet lineup of vehicles.

“There is no good reason why this plant cannot be the site of the production of many of those electric vehicles,” Lange said.

The group met just outside the fence that secures a more than $2 million solar energy system that contains more than 8,500 solar panels. It was — when it was installed in 2014 — General Motors’ largest solar installation in the Western Hemisphere.

Local members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 573 did the work.

“Our members did the work on this solar array. Also inside the plant … they also installed the LED lighting,” said IBEW Organizer / President Mike Nemkovich. “We are trained and qualified to wind (and) solar energy management and if this plant closes down, it doesn’t just cost the workers jobs, but all of the trade union jobs, so I would like to encourage General Motors to bring a green project here and keep this plant alive.”

The last day for employees at the facility is March 8. There is, however, a lawsuit filed Tuesday in federal court in Youngstown by United Auto Workers that asks for the plant to remain open longer based on an agreement it has with General Motors.

The UAW is suing the automaker over breach of contract. It claims an agreement it has with GM bars GM from closing any plant during the course of the existing collective bargaining agreement that doesn’t expire until Sept. 14.

A GM spokeswoman said placing the plants on “unallocated” status does not violate the agreement.