After a weekend at Orange County Jail, Pramilla Malick, Madeline Shaw and actor James Cromwell were released after being found guilty of disorderly conduct for blocking traffic in 2015 during a protest.
They say they're passionate about raising awareness about the CPV Power Plant in Wawayanda. They're part of a group called the Wawayanda Six, locals who are trying to stop the plant from starting, citing health and environmental concerns like air and water pollution.
Power plant officials have previously pointed to economic growth for the region and construction has been ongoing. But protesters say there's still a fighting chance to stop the process.
"People don't think that there is anything they can do. 'It's almost built,' they say. 'Oh, I'd have to go to jail,' but that's not true," Cromwell said. "They have an outstanding permit. We can still close that thing down. We can still do this."
Demonstrators say the power plant doesn't have a water quality certificate that would be needed, so the group is calling on Governor Andrew Cuomo to reject the permit application so the plant can't operate.
The first public hearing and comment session on the part of the project is scheduled for Thursday, July 27 at 6 p.m. at Monticello High School. The second is scheduled for Wednesday, August 2 in Middletown.