Newtown Creek Alliance with Willis Elkins
4/7/26
In this episode, we hear from Willis Elkins, executive director of Newtown Creek Alliance. Newtown Creek Alliance is a community-based local New York City organization dedicated to restoring, revealing, and revitalizing Newtown Creek. Newtown Creek is a 3.8 mile tributary of the East River, an estuary, a border between Brooklyn and Queens, and a federal superfund site. Historically, the creek has had over 50 industrial refineries along its banks.
In this conversation with Willis, we discuss the history of industry & legacy pollution on Newtown Creek, the Greenpoint oil spill, environmental remediation efforts, water quality, green roofs, and the vision for a more sustainable future for the creek. This episode was recorded at Kingsland Wildflowers Green Roof in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.
Connect with Newtown Creek Alliance:
www.instagram.com/newtowncreek/
CREDITS:
Hosted and produced by Kiana Michaan
Edited by Maxfield Biggs
Videography by Jae Minard
Sound Recordist & Co-produced by Lucy Little