Accomplishments

2007: NJPIRG worked with a national coalition to convince the U.S. House of Representatives to pass HR 5, which would cut in half the interest rate on student loans.  The bill passed with overwhelming bipartisan support, by a vote of 356 to 71.  The bill would lower interest rates over five years on subsidized Stafford student loans, which are used overwhelmingly by students from low- and middle-income families.  This would save the average low or middle-income borrower starting school in 2007 $2,300 in debt.

2005:  Protecting the Arctic Refuge: Despite a strong push by the oil industry and their allies in Congress, NJPIRG Student Chapters and the State PIRGs were part of a successful campaign to beat back the latest effort to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for drilling. The fight was the latest in a 25-year effort to combat drilling in this pristine wilderness.

2005: New Voters Project: NJPIRG Student Chapters registered 5000 students to vote in the fall 2005 New Jersey election. The registration effort was followed by a GOTV campaign, contacting 16,000 registered 18-24 year-olds on 12 college campuses across the state. According to a study of raw precinct data by the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning & Engagement (CIRCLE) the number of votes cast in precincts with a high concentration of college students increased by an average of 19.9 percent above the 2001 election.

2005: Campus Climate Challenge: In the fall, NJPIRG Student Chapters along with the Student PIRGs across the country launched the Campus Climate Challenge. The goal of the challenge is for 500 colleges across the country to take the lead in fighting climate change by committing to reduce their emissions to 90% below 2005 levels by 2050.

2005: Water Watch Responds to Hurricane Katrina: In response to Hurricane Katrina, which devastated the Gulf Region, NJPIRG’s AmeriCorps program New Jersey Community Water Watch raised $4000 for its survivors. They then traveled to Mississippi for a week to assist in rebuilding and distributing supplies.

2005: Hunger and Homelessness: NJPIRG Student Chapters in New Brunswick organized the nation’s second largest Hunger Cleanup. Rutgers students raised more than $10,000 for Tsunami Relief, baby food distribution at the Franklin Foodbank, and other national programs.

2004: New Voters Project: NJPIRG Student Chapters registered over 4000 voters as part of the national, non-partisan New Voters Project. The state effort combined with the national campaign resulted in a 10% increase in turnout for 18 to 24 year old voters from the 2000 to the 2004 election.

2004: Making Textbooks Affordable: NJPIRG Student Chapters and the Student PIRGs released Rip-off 101, a report exposing the ways that publishers drive up the cost of textbooks. The report generates press coverage across the country and brings attention to these practices. The report was followed by the launch of an online bookswap, and a network of 700 math and physics professors from across the country calling on Thompson Learning to stop releasing needless new editions.

2003: Water Watch: NJPIRG’s AmeriCorps program New Jersey Community Water Watch organized river cleanups across the state for national “Make a Difference Day.” 455 students attended cleanups in New Brunswick, East Brunswick, Camden, Newark and Atlantic City.

2002: Protecting Renters' Rights: NJPIRG Student Chapters won city inspections of rental housing in New Brunswick.

2002: Working For a Clean Energy Future: NJPIRG Student Chapters and the State PIRGs worked together to defeat a dirty federal energy bill.

2001: Making Higher Education Affordable: NJPIRG and the State PIRGs helped to win a $1.7 billion increase in financial aid, lower interest rates and a bigger tax deduction for student loan payments.

1994: NJPIRG and AmeriCorps launch New Jersey Community Water Watch, an AmeriCorps program targeted at educating and activating citizens and community members around their local waterways.

1991: NJPIRG passes the Pollution Prevention Act. This helped reduce hazardous waste generation in New Jersey by 50% over the next 10 years.

1990: NJPIRG passes the Clean Water Enforcement Act. The law, which became a national model, forced mandatory fines for serious water polluters and served as one of the strongest laws of its kind in the nation.

1986: NJPIRG and the State PIRGs win a campaign to strengthen the Superfund law, creating the national toxics release inventory.

1985: NJPIRG helps to form the National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness.

1983: NJPIRG and a labor-environment coalition won the Worker, Community Right to Know About Toxics Act, requiring the industry to publicly report use, storage and transport of toxic chemicals.

1983: NJPIRG files the first in a series of citizen lawsuits against New Jersey’s worst water polluters.

1978: NJPIRG wins tax incentives for solar power.

1975: NJPIRG plays a lead role in stopping the construction of Tocks Island Dam, thus preserving the Delaware River and thousands of acres of farm land.

1974: NJPIRG launches its stream walking program, collecting evidence of illegal polluters and writing a manual for volunteer stream monitoring programs.

1972: Students at Seton Hall University start the first NJPIRG student chapter.