Reports & Features Archive

The New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG) today announced that effective January 1, 2025, Megan Ahearn is its new Executive Director. Ms. Ahearn previously served as NYPIRG’s Program Director overseeing NYPIRG’s community and campus policy work. Ms. Ahearn succeeds Blair Horner and will be NYPIRG’s eighth Executive Director in its 50-plus year existence. Horner will remain on NYPIRG’s staff as its Senior Policy Advisor, primarily focusing on state government advocacy.

MAJOR VICTORY: Governor Hochul signs the Climate Change Superfund Act into law! This New York action moves the issue to the forefront in the nation to MAKE POLLUTERS PAY.

Governor Hochul and key members of the state’s legislative leadership announced an agreement to approve the Climate Change Superfund Act. New York will become the second state in the nation to hold the largest Big Oil companies accountable for costs resulting from the worsening climate catastrophe.

NYPIRG Straphangers Campaign Statement on MTA Decision to Approve Transit Fare Hike in 2025

NYPIRG joined elected officials and environmental advocates to rally for the Climate Change Superfund Act in the wake of unprecedented climate catastrophes in New York. Governor Hochul only has until the end of the year to sign legislation that makes polluters, not taxpayers, pay for climate disaster repairs and resilience.

After Relaunching Congestion Pricing, Signing the Climate Change Superfund Act Is Next on Gov’s To-Do List

NYPIRG Straphangers Campaign Statement on Governor Hochul's decision to implement Congestion Pricing

Press Release: Bus Riders March for Faster Buses on Flatbush Avenue; Call on Mayor and City to Get it Done

A coalition of civic organizations released a letter to the State Board of Elections identifying possible failures in state law mandating that colleges with dorms have polling places. The groups urged action to ensure compliance or to strengthen the law.

A coalition of civic, environmental, social justice, and community-based charities joined with small business “redemption centers” to call on Governor Hochul and the state legislative leaders “to urge your attention and immediate action to prevent business closings and job losses by supporting legislation to boost the ‘handling fee’ that provides revenues for redemption centers, which are critical to the success of the state’s Bottle Deposit Law.”

VICTORY! On Monday, June 17, a six-year fight for clean air and public health came to an end when Danskammer Energy withdrew its application to build a new fracked gas plant on the Hudson River in Newburgh, NY.

As a dangerous heat wave grips New York, sending "feels like" temperatures soaring above 100 degrees, community leaders, local officials, and extreme weather survivors are demanding Governor Hochul take immediate action by signing the recently passed Climate Change Superfund Act (S.2129B/A.3351B) into law.

Tale of the Tape: NYPIRG's 2024 Legislative Review – The number of bills that passed in the Senate increased, while that number decreased in the Assembly. The Governor's use of emergency "messages of necessity" flattens.

NY State Assembly Passes Historic Climate Superfund Bill to Make Polluters Pay for Climate Damages

NYPIRG's Statement on Governor Hochul's Delay of Congestion Pricing

A coalition supporting improvements to the state’s Bottle Deposit Law today released a listing of over 1,000 local charities that benefit from the law. The coalition argued that these charities offer services for those in need and that modernization of the forty-year-old law would enhance the charities’ services.

A coalition supporting improving the state’s Bottle Deposit Law today released a review of recent redemption center closures. The review, conducted by redemption centers, identified 97 businesses that have closed or appear to be closed. Another 54 redemption centers had disconnected phones and no obvious social media presence. The coalition argued that many of these closures are the direct result of New York's 15 year "freeze" of the handling fee that redemption centers rely on for revenues.

NYPIRG Reacts to Speaker Heastie's Comments on Climate Change Superfund Act

A coalition of civic groups today called on the New York State Board of Elections to review the state’s polling locations to see if colleges have on-campus polls as required under the law. The letter is in reaction to the results of a survey conducted by NYPIRG. NYPIRG analyzed 199 colleges (217 campuses, some colleges have multiple campuses) in New York State, of which 147 have dorms located on their premises. This review of the locations of polling places for college students living on-campus identifies a wide gap between those campuses that have dorms and the number that have polling places.

A statewide coalition representing hundreds of community, environmental, labor, and religious groups today applauded state Senate approval of the Climate Change Superfund Act, which requires Big Oil to cover New York's climate damages – not taxpayers. The groups urged swift action in the state Assembly. The majority of Assemblymembers are sponsors of the legislation.

News Release on NYPIRG's Recent Victory Expanding Financial Aid for Low-Income Patients

Environmental, community, and business groups representing 300 New York organizations today held a press conference to urge state lawmakers to include the "Bigger, Better, Bottle Bill" (S.237B/A6353A) as a "must do" priority for the end of session

NYPIRG Statement on Start of Congestion Pricing

NYPIRG reacted to elements of the final state budget, highlighting the "good," the "bad," and the "ugly."

Release: County & Local Elected Officials Join 180+ Organizations to Urge Governor Hochul & Assembly Speaker Heastie to End $265M of Fossil Fuel Subsidies in the Final NYS Budget

Bill to Gut NYC’s Landmark Climate and Jobs Law Slammed as Real Estate Lobby Attack Begins. Proposed Linda Lee bill would eviscerate Local Law 97, which is creating thousands of local jobs, cutting utility bills, and reducing pollution.

Report and Release: Climate Change Superfund Environmental Justice. $1 Billion Potential Scenario of Annual Allocations by Region and County

Report from NYPIRG and NY Renews – On the Backs of New York State Households: The Extreme Costs of Climate Change Impacts Families in Every Region of the State

NYPIRG and Other Transparency Advocates Urge Legislature and Governor to Strengthen Freedom of Information Law for Sunshine Week

Release: Assembly One-House Budget Bill Shows House Rejected Inclusion of Popular “Make Polluters Pay” Climate Change Superfund Act. Organizations Ask: Why Are the Assembly and Governor Shielding Big Oil Climate Polluters Instead of Protecting NYS Taxpayers?

News Release: Youth, Faith & Environmental Groups Join with Legislators to Call for “Make Polluters Pay” Bill Requiring Big Oil to Fund Climate Crisis Costs to be Included in Senate and Assembly One-House Budgets Also: Check out NYPIRG's New Video Illustrating the Need to Make Corporate Polluters Pay

Video Release: Make Polluters Pay!

NEWS RELEASE: NYPIRG Releases “Small Claims, Small Changes: A Survey of Albany Small Claims Court 45 Years Later”

A NYPIRG report documenting a survey of litigants who participated in cases in the City of Albany Small Claims Court in 2021 shows the challenges facing consumers using the system.

NEWS RELEASE: NYPIRG Reacts to Governor Hochul's Budget Plan

NYPIRG Statement on the Passing of Sidney Wolfe, MD, Founder of Public Citizen’s Health Research Group

Today, a coalition of elected officials, youth leaders, and community organizations led by NYPIRG called on Governor Hochul to include the Climate Change Superfund Act in her upcoming budget. The Climate Superfund assesses the largest oil companies for the state's mounting climate-related expenses and does so in a way that protects the public from increased costs.

RELEASE: Another Storm, More Costs to NY Taxpayers: Will Governor Hochul Make Big Oil Pay? A coalition of groups today called on Governor Hochul to make the oil companies pick up the tab for the costs of NY's climate damages after another deadly storm that caused widespread damage to New York State.

NYPIRG and a coalition of environmental organizations and local elected officials today released a review of the climate costs facing New York City and called on Governor Hochul to make the biggest oil companies – not local taxpayers – pay to cover climate damages

NYPIRG Celebrated Its Five Decades of Victories and College Student Empowerment Author and Activist Jane Fonda, Community Service Society’s David Jones, State Senator Liz Krueger, U.S. Sen. Schumer’s State Director Martin Brennan, and New Deal Strategies’ Camille Rivera Received NYPIRG's “changemaker” Awards

Climate Superfund News Conferences: Taxpayer Tally of Climate Costs Since 8/2022 is $2.7 Billion

NYPIRG Statement on the Death of Ryan Thoresen Carson

The biblical rains that are devastating parts of the state are fresh evidence that the costs of adapting New York's infrastructure to the world climate’s "new abnormal" will be staggering. Legislation -- approved by the Senate (S.2129A) -- would require the largest oil companies to help pick up the tab and do it in a manner that will stop them from passing the costs on to consumers. Read NYPIRG's statement on downstate's devastating floods.

Advocates and Business call on Governor Hochul and DEC to release grant funds to struggling Bottle Redemption Businesses

Thousands Join March to End Fossil Fuels, Demand Biden Declare Climate Emergency & Phase Out Plan

NYers face hundreds of millions of dollars in climate costs while big oil racks up huge profits, nearly three-quarters of a trillion dollars over past 30 months

NYPIRG 50th Anniversary, Celebrating Five Decades of Victories and College Student Empowerment, Will Be Held on October 13th in NYC – Author and Activist Jane Fonda, Community Service Society's David Jones, State Senator Liz Krueger, U.S. Sen. Schumer's State Director Martin Brennan, and New Deal Strategies' Camille Rivera to Receive NYPIRG's "Changemaker" Awards

New York’s “New Normal” Not Normal at All: Frequent Climate Disasters, Staggering Costs — Governor Hochul Leaves New Yorkers on the Financial Hook for Billions of Dollars in Climate Damages and Extreme Weather Emergency Preparedness While Letting Big Oil off the Hook

NYPIRG Has Updated Its 2023 Legislative Session Review, Including the New York State Assembly Actions

With New York Budget Deficits Growing and Climate Costs Soaring, Will the Assembly Make Big Oil Pick Up the Tab? NYPIRG Urges Assembly to Pass Climate Change Superfund Act

Tale of the Tape: NYPIRG's 2023 Legislative Review – The number of bills that passed in the Senate increased, while that number decreased in the Assembly. The Governor's use of emergency "messages of necessity" continues to move upward.

Congressmen Goldman and Nadler joined with NYS legislators, NYPIRG and other advocates to call on Albany leadership to make corporate climate polluters pay

Video – Disinformation: The Fossil Fuel Industry's Campaign to Undermine New York's Climate Act

VICTORY! NYPIRG Celebrates First in the Nation Law to Electrify New Buildings

Statement: NYPIRG Reacts to Gov Hochul Leaving Climate Change Superfund Out of the Budget

As Albany Negotiates a State Budget, NYC College Students Call for Free and Reduced Price Transit Fares for Education Access

Faith Leaders, Environmentalists, Senators: New York Needs to Show The Nation How to Tackle Climate Catastrophe - Groups Urge Albany Lawmakers to Include Green Power, Big Oil Superfund in Final Budget

NYPIRG REACTS TO ONE-HOUSE BUDGET BILLS – This week, both houses released their "one house" budget bills. Now lawmakers' attention will turn to negotiating differences. Here are key policy areas where NYPIRG has advocated and for which the Governor, the Senate, and the Assembly have established budget positions.

Release: New York’s Tobacco Control Efforts are “Up In Smoke” Due to Shrinking State Support

Report: Up In Smoke: Billions from Tobacco Use, Pennies for New York’s Tobacco Control

REPORT: Rebuild by Design releases the report “Atlas of Disaster: New York State” that identifies the impacts of recent climate disasters across New York State at the county level, for the years 2011-2021.

Top Big Oil Corporations Announce Record $215 Billion 2022 Profits – New Yorkers Tell Albany Leaders: Make Climate Polluters Pay!

NYPIRG and New Yorkers for Fiscal Fairness Release Policy Paper on Economic Benefits of Higher Education

NYPIRG Reacts to the Governor's 2023-2024 Executive Budget

Statewide Poll Finds New Yorkers Strongly Support “Bottle Bill” Program Expansion 150 Organizations Call on Governor to Include Modernized “Bottle Bill” in Budget

Advocates to Governor Hochul: Make "greedy" oil companies pay for climate damages! In Albany, standing in the shadow of a giant inflatable pig, a coalition of environmentalists called on the governor to make the world’s largest oil companies pay for the staggering infrastructure costs of dealing with climate change. The groups estimated that those costs could total $100 billion in New York over the next decade, with more expenses as the world’s climate worsens.

Ahead of the 2023 State of the State, more than 200 groups released a letter sent to Governor Hochul urging her to make big oil companies, not taxpayers, financially responsible for the growing climate damages facing the state.

Environmental & Climate Groups Urge Governor to Sign Right to Repair Bill

Senior, Consumer, Disability, And Civic Organizations Urge Governor Hochul to Approve the “Grieving Families Act” - Legislation Passed with Overwhelming Bipartisan Majorities, but has Not Yet Been Sent to the Governor

NYPIRG Statement on Climate Action Council’s Approval of Its Scoping Plan

NYPIRG Reacts to Independent Redistricting Commission Proposed Assembly Boundaries

Over 300 New York Environmental, Community Groups, Redemption Centers, Canners, and Faith Groups, Call on Governor Hochul to Modernize NY’s Bottle Bill with a “Bigger Better Bottle Bill”

NYPIRG Applauds Passage of Environmental Bond Act, Urges Gov and Lawmakers to Act on Additional Measures

126 Groups Urge Governor & CAC to Support All-Electric Buildings Start in 2024

UPCOMING EVENTS! Securing Our Future: Saving Social Security from the Chopping Block

Watchdogs Ask New Members of Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government to Reset Expectations about NYS Ethics Oversight Groups’ Recommendations Would Improve Enforcement, Transparency, and Training

Reform groups urge the new state ethics commission to get to work this month

NYPIRG Straphangers Campaign and TransitCenter Release 17th Annual Pokey and Schleppie Awards on Bus Performance

Governor Approves Three Steps Toward Meeting Goals of Climate Leadership & Community Protection Act (CLCPA) NYPIRG Applauds Move and Urges Governor to Sign Cryptocurrency Moratorium Act, and Include All-Electric Building Act and EV Car Charging Station Expansion Bill in 2023 Executive Budget

Policy Close Up: Climate Scorecard 2022

NYPIRG Submits 2022 Climate Action Council Draft Scoping Plan Comments

NYPIRG Releases “Albany Money Machine” Albany Fundraising Fires up, Despite Pandemic 137 Fundraisers in Albany, or Virtual, or by Leadership During 2022 New “Normal” a Lot Like the Old One

Straphangers Campaign Hosts Bus Lane Painting Party — Celebrate Plans for 20 Miles of New Bus Lanes in 2022

State Court Rules DEC Can Deny Permit on Danskammer Fracked Gas Power Plant as It Undermines NYS's Climate Law

NEW! NYPIRG's updated Legislative Profiles offer New Yorkers a “one-stop” opportunity to conveniently examine publicly-available information on their state legislators.

Tale of the Tape: NYPIRG’S 2022 Legislative Review Number of Bills that Passed Both Houses Increased
Governor's Use of Emergency "Messages of Necessity" Jumps

NYPIRG reacts to the environmental actions of the 2022 session. The State Legislature passed three major bills in the last days of session which place New York in the national forefront on energy efficient standards, expansion of geothermal renewable energy, union just transition, and hit the appropriate pause button on cryptocurrency mining.

VICTORY! News Release: NYPIRG Celebrates Passage of Right to Repair Bill by NYS Legislature

Release: Mayday Distress Signal for Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act Without Passage of All-Electric Buildings Act this Session

NYPIRG and over 50 other environmental and community organizations call on Governor Hochul and state legislative leaders to make the climate polluters pay. NYPIRG also joined state Senator Krueger and Assemblymember Dinowitz calling for the oil, gas, and coal industries to be held financially liable for the costs of global warming

*UPDATE: NYPIRG will be working with Donald Ross’ family and friends to organize an event celebrating his life. We are planning on the event occurring sometime in the early fall.

NYPIRG, Statewide Groups and Legislators Hold 40th Birthday Party for the “Bottle Bill” Advocates Call on State Legislature to Pass Bill This Session to Expand and Modernize NY’s Most Successful Recycling and Extended Producer Responsibility Law

Donald Ross, 1943-2022 – We are saddened by the loss of Donald Ross, our first executive director and a lifelong, visionary champion for the public interest.

NYPIRG joined with lawmakers and families who have lost loved ones due to others' negligence to urge New York to modernize its Wrongful Death Law. NYPIRG also released results of its survey of state Wrongful Death Laws showing New York at the bottom in terms of recognizing family losses

NYPIRG joined with lawmakers and consumer, health, and food safety organizations to urge passage of legislation to blunt the growing threat of antibiotics resistant infections (aka "superbugs").

217 Groups Call on Legislature to Pass Climate Justice CLCPA Building Bills for Earth Week

NYPIRG calls higher education budget a step forward, but much more needs to be done.

NEW! Fossil-Free Future Campaign: Help Make New York State a Leader in the Fight to Combat Climate Change

NYPIRG Reacts to the Process of State Budget-Making as Well as Democracy Reforms Contained Within the Budget Agreement

Energy & Environment Wins & Losses in 2022 State Budget

Civic Groups Decry Failure of Governor and Legislature to Create Credible Ethics Oversight Body Reported Budget Agreement Would Lock in JCOPE’s Fatal Flaw: Lack of Independence From the Electeds It Is Supposed to Regulate

Civic Organizations Today Urged Opposition to a Reported Ethics Reform Plan The Groups Cited a Report From the Albany Times Union Which Described a Plan That Would Establish a New Ethics Watchdog Still Controlled by Political Insiders.

NYPIRG and Other Reform Organizations Today Responded to Reports of Renewed Negotiations Over State Ethics in This Year’s State Budget The Groups Called on the Governor and State Legislature to Create an Independent Commission to Replace the Failed

Over 160 Environmental and Community Organizations, Recycling Businesses Oppose Extended Producer Responsibility Legislation in the State Budget – Call for Stronger Packaging Legislation and Expansion of Bottle Bill

NYPIRG Announces New Staff

Reactions to Governor Hochul’s FY 2022-2023 Executive Budget

Seventy-five Bottle Redemption Businesses and Distributors Call on Governor Hochul to Expand and Modernize NY's Bottle Deposit Law

Reactions to Governor Hochul's State of the State

Students Petition Gov Hochul for Student Friendly Executive Budget

News Release: Students Petition Gov Hochul for Student Friendly Executive Budget

NYPIRG Applauds, Criticizes, Gov Hochul’s Approvals and Veto Of Environmental Legislation

New Yorkers Call For an End to Fossil Fuel Subsidies

NYPIRG and over 100 groups call on Gov Hochul to modernize NYS's soon-to-be-40 year old bottle bill.

VICTORY! Danskammer and Astoria Power Plant Permits Denied

Straphangers Campaign Petition to Transform Transit

News Release: NYPIRG Applauds NYS DEC Decisions to Deny Danskammer and Astoria Power Plant Permits

"Vote Yes on the Back" Factsheet: 2021 New York State Constitutional Amendment Ballot Questions

NY Congress Members Urge Speaker Pelosi to Make Polluters Pay for Climate Destruction Costs

NYPIRG Statement on Release of Draft Permit Renewal for The Greenidge Bitcoin Mining Facility

Upstate New York Likely to Lose Representation in Congressional Delegation and State Senate If New Maps Reflect Changes in Population

NYPIRG Statement on the August 2021 report released by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

Release: Leading Climate & Social Justice Organizations Rally Around Make Polluters Pay Plan

Letter: Leading Climate & Social Justice Organizations Rally Around Make Polluters Pay Plan

NYPIRG Calls for Creation of Public Dashboard to Measure Progress Toward New York’s Climate Goals

Letter to DEC: NYPIRG Calls for Clear and Accessible Public Reporting on Climate Progress

Policy Close Up: Climate Scorecard 2021

Tale of the Tape: NYPIRG’s 2021 Legislative Review

Environmental groups call for a moratorium on the operation of cryptocurrency mining centers

NYPIRG Statement on Passage of Legislation to Ensure All New Yorkers Have Testing for Dangerous Unregulated Contaminants

Senior, Consumer, Disability, and Civic Organizations Urge Passage of Grieving Families Act Groups Urge Modernization of NY’s Pre-Civil War Wrongful Death Statute

On Eve Of 50th Anniversary Of NY's Approval Of The 26th Amendment, NYPIRG and120+ College Groups Urge Lawmakers To Approve Legislation Placing Polling Places On Colleges

NYPIRG joined with four dozen public health, consumer, and animal welfare groups to urge Governor Cuomo and the legislative leaders to act to improve protections against the rise of antibiotic-resistant "superbugs" that originate from farms and food.

Council Members, Climate Activists New York City Council to Enact Gas Free NYC Bill to Reduce Air Pollution and Create Green Jobs

NYPIRG Reacts to Closure of Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant

NYPIRG Reacts to President Biden's Free Community College Proposal

NYPIRG reacts to Census reapportionment numbers - NY will lose one seat in the U.S. House of Representatives

NYPIRG and other watchdog organizations call for hearings into scandals and failures of ethics oversight

Groups respond to NYC carbon-neutral pathways report and call for gas ban on new construction

Advocacy Groups and NYC Council Members Announce Campaign to Ban Gas in New Construction

2021 State Budget Reaction

NYS Legislature Passes First Step in Fight Against “Superbugs”; NYPIRG Urges Lawmakers to “Finish the Job” and Tackle the Growth of “Superbugs” in Agriculture

Civic Groups urge the New York City Board of Elections to reinstate its public comment period

NYPIRG and New York's leading civic organizations call for an overhaul in ethics enforcement. The coalition urges that the Joint Commission on Public Ethics (JCOPE) be replaced and a new independent ethics watchdog be created.

Statement on New Information Regarding PFAs Incineration at Norlite Plant in Cohoes

NYPIRG Reacts to Final Count in Congressional District 22 Race – Stunning Failures in Elections Administration Must be Investigated and Reforms Advanced to Restore Voter Confidence

Report: NYPIRG releases review of community college tuition policies

News Release: NYPIRG releases review of community college tuition policies

Statement on Climate Action Council Energy Efficiency and Housing Advisory Panel Recommendations

Statement on Mayor Bill de Blasio Announcement to Ban New Fossil Fuel Hookups in New York City

U.S. PIRG report reveals critical shortages of nurses, aides and clinical staff in nursing homes

Social Justice, Environmental Organizations Applaud Governor Cuomo’s Proposal to Ban Water Shut-Offs During States of Emergency

NYPIRG Reacts To Governor Cuomo's Budget Proposal

NYPIRG Reacts to Governor's 4th 2021 State of the State Address on NYS Infrastructure Needs

NYPIRG Reacts to Governor's State of the State Environmental Plans and Priorities

Youth, Climate, and Environmental Organizations Respond to Governor Cuomo’s Environment State of the State Address

NYPIRG Reacts to Governor’s First Installment of His 2021 State of the State Address

NYPIRG and other civic organizations called on the Legislature to enact new rules to allow greater public participation and further empower rank-and-file legislators no matter which political party