On a sunny Wednesday in mid-June, Columbia University’s MPA Environmental Science and Policy (MPA-ESP) program gradually exited the classroom and entered one of the most environmentally complex sites in New York City: the Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn. As part of the Environmental Chemistry and Risk Assessment and Toxicology course, field trips provide students with unique lenses to understand how science, policy and community actions intersect to address long-standing urban environmental challenges.
Over the past few years, Michael Musso, lecturer in environmental health science and international and public affairs at the Columbia Postal Public Health School, and Steven Chillrud, professor of geochemical research for Earth Observations at Lamont-Doherty, is part of the Columbia Climate School, traveling for the annual trip during the summer. The visit became possible with the support of friends and residents of the local community group Frogg, which has long advocated equitable remedies and sustainable development in the region.
The Gowanus Canal was designated as a federal super fund location by the EPA in 2010 and suffered more than a century of industrial pollution. Before the Clean Water Act of 1972, it was a crucial transportation route, which was used as a dump by gases, chemical plants and other heavy industries. The canal has also been affected by the outdated combined sewers in New York City, which is still subject to improvements in untrained sewage treatment and stormwater that are still under-treated to improve these debris. Despite the cleanup, toxic pollutants remain, posing a risk to nearby communities. Today, the canal borders a rapidly growing community characterized by a stark contrast: luxury development, heritage pollution and proactive grassroots advocacy, together creating a powerful case study in environmental injustice, gentrification and climate vulnerability.
“It’s one thing to learn about toxic exposure during lectures,” said Maxwell Howland, a student in the MPA-ESP program. “The other is standing on the edge of people fishing, paddling and living nearby canals. We talked about exposure paths in the classroom, but today we see the reality of local, state and federal agencies and communities, trying to get along with it to get along with it, which is working hard.
The program conducted field trips in collaboration with Frog, which puts students on the consequences of environmental pollution and community leadership efforts to hold federal and local authorities responsible for cleaning up in the canal and surrounding communities. Through tour guides and storytelling, Frogg brings decades of advocacy to life, linking scientific data to life experiences and illustrates the power of grassroots participation in policy development and public awareness.
“We learned about pollutants in the canal, such as coal tar and sewage overflow,” said Diana Chipak, an MPA-ESP student in Ukraine. “We even saw a huge reserve tank to capture rainwater and prevent further pollution. But, in addition to chemistry, we also saw social tensions – local residents were dissatisfied with unrestricted structures, rapid gentrification and lack of transparency.”
The Gowanus Canal embodies what sustainability professionals call “evil problems” that collided with science, health, housing, climate resilience and economics. Developers have advanced residential projects (some on contaminated land), while local advocacy groups have delayed, urging ecological restoration and community-centric programs.
“For me, one of the key courses is how local advocates use data to drive justice, but often face real consequences, such as losing a job, when they challenge strong interests. We’re also hearing calls for the most polluted part of the canal to be converted into parks, not housing, so the land can heal and heal, so heal and heal and benefit.”
This experience emphasizes the value of site-based learning, a hallmark of the MPA-ESP program. By connecting environmental chemistry with real-world policy and community perspectives, students gain a deeper understanding of these tools and courage to solve complex environmental problems.
As cities around the globe cope with the challenges of industrial pollution’s legacy and equitable reconstruction, the Gowanus Canal provides a cautionary tale, a promising story. Through science, advocacy and interdisciplinary policy action, transformative change is not only possible. It is already in progress.
As the latest graduate of the MPA-ESP program and this summer contact, supporting the upcoming cohort, it makes sense to witness firsthand the group interacting so meaningfully with the Gowanus website. Field trips remind us that sustainability is not only about solving environmental problems in isolation, but also involves understanding history, listening to communities, navigating political and economic tensions, and ultimately designing solutions rooted in fairness and justice. The Gowanus Canal may be one of the most polluted waterways in the United States, but it is also a powerful example of how science-based policy, grassroots activism and interdisciplinary education can be integrated to create real and lasting change.
