NYPIRG celebrated Earth Day with a virtual event featuring keynote speaker Judith Enck, former EPA Region 2 Administrator and President and Founder of Beyond Plastics. We discussed community and student empowerment and the fight for a livable future.

Watch the event video!

NYPIRG and our coalition partners held an online teach-in on the Astoria NRG fracked gas power plant. We went over why a brand new fracked gas power plant would hurt our communities and the climate, and how you can join the growing movement to stop it and create thousands of good, green union jobs.

Watch the event video!

Student loan debt has reached truly catastrophic levels across the country. As of 2020, there is $1.57 trillion in student debt owed in the United States!

NYPIRG joined Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer for a combination town hall and how-to on putting pressure on President Biden to #CancelStudentDebt.

We were also joined by Representatives Jamaal Bowman, Ritchie Torres, and Mondaire Jones as we discussed a variety of tactics to work with activists, politicians, and organizations across the nation on this critical issue.

Watch the event video!

The NYPIRG Straphangers Campaign and our coalition partners held a rally and news conference as part of our #TransformTransit campaign. We announced a sustained push for federal funding of public transit accessibility and reliability as part of President Biden's American Jobs Plan.

We aim to win $20 billion to complete the accessible station and signal upgrades promised in the MTA capital program and $3 billion in annual operating support to guarantee frequent and affordable transit – with room to meet new needs in every neighborhood, while also creating good jobs for New Yorkers.

Right now, states across the country are proposing Jim Crow-style voting restrictions – from massive voter roll purges to onerous new ID requirements that are hard for students, low-income people, and people of color to meet. Between just January and May of this year, 14 states passed 22 laws to restrict voting rights, a record.

We are fighting back against this voter suppression! NYPIRG and Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer held a massive virtual town hall about the For The People Act (HR1/S1), which will protect and expand our democracy, lessen the influence of big money in politics, and restore ethical norms. We heard the latest update on where the legislation stands in the Senate, got answers on how the bill impacts you, and took action to help get the bill passed.

Often those who bear the brunt of the impacts from polluting projects and policies are not heard. It is about time that we talk about the facts and take action!

NYPIRG and our coalition partners held a community discussion on the proposed Danskammer gas power plant in the Town of Newburgh (Orange County). We talked about how this plant will affect the local community and what we can do together to stop the plant.

Watch the event video!

NYPIRG joined the CUNY Rising Alliance, USS, and PSC for an in-person demonstration to oppose the mayor's cuts to CUNY.

Mayor de Blasio's Executive Budget would cut city funding to CUNY community colleges by $67 million, eliminating funding needed to fill empty staff lines when students are in desperate need of more mental health counseling and academic advising. It would also cut funding for remediation services, campus child care, tutoring and service corps, and food insecurity programs.

NYPIRG took part in Deadline for Democracy rallies across the state outside of Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer’s regional offices to show that there is overwhelming grassroots support for voting rights. Senator Schumer needs to know that we are counting on him to get the For the People Act passed intact, including with public financing for elections.

Saturday, July 17 was the one year anniversary of Congressman John Lewis' death. He spent his life fighting for civil and voting rights.

In his remembrance, NYPIRG teamed up with our partners at the Brooklyn NAACP, Common Cause NY, Indivisible Nation BK, and New York State Senator Zellnor Myrie (Chairman of the Committee on Elections) to hold a Good Trouble Vigil for Democracy. We heard from faith leaders, elected officials, and advocates as we honored John Lewis and fought for a better democracy, including the passage of the For the People Act.

With anti-voter laws being passed all over America, the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent ruling making it harder to protect the right to vote, and Congressional districts being redrawn this fall, we must honor John Lewis' lifetime work by continuing to fight against voter suppression and for a stronger democracy.

1.  Monday, August 23, 1 PM & 6 PM: New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) virtual public hearings to oppose the DANSKAMMER POWER PLANT PROPOSAL

Danskammer Energy, LLC is proposing to construct a new fracked gas fired combined cycle power generation facility that will be primarily fueled by fracked gas with ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) as a backup fuel for up to the full load equivalent of 720 hours per year. Please register to testify in opposition to this project!

To join the 1 PM virtual public comment hearing online, visit webex.com and click "Join a Meeting."

• Meeting number: 179 424 0742
• Password: Aug23-1PM

To join the 1 PM hearing by phone only:

• Dial: (518) 549-0500
• Access code: 179 424 0742

To join the 6 PM virtual public comment hearing online, visit webex.com and click "Join a Meeting."

• Meeting number: 179 071 1717
• Password: Aug23-6PM

To join the 6 PM hearing by phone only:

• Dial: (518) 549-0500
• Access code: 179 071 1717

*Note: Any person wishing to provide a public statement must register in advance of the hearing no later than 10 AM on August 20, 2021. Any person who wishes only to observe the webinar online must also register. Any person may listen to the hearing by phone without pre-registration.

2. Tuesday, August 24, 1 PM & 6 PM: DEC virtual public hearings to oppose the ASTORIA NRG FRACKED GAS POWER PLANT PROPOSAL

NRG is proposing a new fracked gas power plant in Astoria, NY. The plant will fire fracked gas as the primary fuel with limited ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) liquid fuel for backup. The proposed project will also include a ULSD-fired emergency generator, and two ULSD-fired emergency fire water pumps. Please register to testify in opposition to this project!

To join the 1 PM virtual public comment hearing online, visit webex.com and click "Join a Meeting."

• Meeting number: 179 855 3194
• Password: Aug24-1PM

To join the 1 PM hearing by phone only:

• Dial: 1-518-549-0500
• Access code: 179 855 3194

To join the 6 PM virtual public comment hearing online, visit webex.com and click "Join a Meeting."

• Meeting number: 179 366 5930
• Password: Aug24-6PM

To join the 6 PM hearing by phone only:

• Dial: (518) 549-0500
• Access code: 179 366 5930

3. Wednesday, August 25, 1 PM & 6 PM: DEC in-person public hearings to oppose the DANSKAMMER FRACKED GAS POWER PLANT PROPOSAL

Danskammer Energy, LLC is proposing to construct a new fracked gas fired combined cycle power generation facility that will be primarily fueled by fracked gas with ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) as a backup fuel for up to the full load equivalent of 720 hours per year. Please register to testify in opposition to this project!

Location for 1 PM & 6 PM hearings: Marlboro High School Auditorium, 50 Cross Road, Marlboro, NY 12542

*Note: Persons who wish to speak at an in-person hearing session are encouraged to pre-register by 10 AM on August 24, 2021. To pre-register, contact the DEC Office of Hearings and Mediation Service by telephone at (518) 402-9003, or by email at ohms@dec.ny.gov. Please provide your first and last name, title, address, and telephone number. Also reference the Danskammer public comment hearing, and indicate the session that you wish to speak at. Instructions for registering to speak at a virtual hearing session may be accessed as indicated above.

4. Thursday, August 26, 1 PM & 6 PM: DEC in-person public hearings to oppose the ASTORIA NRG FRACKED GAS POWER PLANT PROPOSAL

NRG is proposing a new fracked gas power plant in Astoria, NY. The plant will fire fracked gas as the primary fuel with limited ultra-low sulfur distillate (ULSD) liquid fuel for backup. The proposed project will also include a ULSD-fired emergency generator, and two ULSD-fired emergency fire water pumps. Please register to testify in opposition to this project!

Location for 1 PM & 6 PM hearings: Variety Boys & Girls Club, 21-12 30th Road, Long Island City, NY 11102

*Note: Persons who wish to speak at an in-person hearing session are encouraged to pre-register by 10 AM on August 25, 2021. To pre-register, contact the DEC Office of Hearings and Mediation Service by telephone at (518) 402-9003, or by email at ohms@dec.ny.gov. Please provide your first and last name, address, and telephone number. Also reference the Astoria Gas Turbine Power Replacement Project public comment hearing, and indicate the session that you wish to speak at. Instructions for registering to speak at a virtual hearing session may be accessed as indicated above.

Thank you for your help!