Resources

Climate Adaptation Resources

• • Heat Map Resource - Westfield's GIS mapper can add a Heat Mapping layer.  

    • Go here, click on the Layers icon, click on the Add Data tab, Type Heat in the search bar, and choose the heat mapping layer you want to add to the City's GIS map.

  • Heat Related Information

    • Cleveland Clinic: Heat Exhaustion vs Heat Stroke

  • Cooling Methods 

    • There are two basic cooling methods:  Conduction and Evaporation

    • Both methods require removing external clothing first.

      • Conduction involves immersion in cool water or the application of towels / sheets that have been soaked in cool water.  

      • Evaporation (mist + fan) involves wetting exposed skin and moving air across it to cause evaporative cooling.

  • Cooling Center Info for Westfield

    • In August 2022, Westfield used the Tech Academy at 33 Smith Avenue as a cooling center.

    • When cooling centers are opened in Westfield, they are announced on the Civic Alerts page.

Flood Maps and Resources

• • • May 2020 FEMA Flood Zone Map for Westfield

    • City of Westfield's Municipal Vulnerability Program: Summary of Report Findings

    • City of Westfield's Flood Control Commission Website 

    • City of Westfield's Engineering Department Website 

PFAS Legislation

• Rockefeller Institute's PFAS Policy Dashboard 

• Toxic Chemicals Legislation Tracker: Safer States Bill Tracker

• MA Legislature PFAS Bills

State & Local Pollution Resources

• Healthy Air Network (containing Westfield's fully calibrated air monitors from MassDEP))

• MassDEP Waste Cleanup Sites in Westfield

• MassDEP Files Regarding the PFAS Contamination at the Base

• Barnes Air National Guard Base Restoration Advisory Board

• Search in the Chap 21E Waste Site Cleanup Files

• MassDEP Drinking Water Data for Public Water Suppliers (PWS) - (You can look up your municipal water test results here.)

In the Venn diagram of PFAS work (science, environmental, and advocacy), we have met many interesting people doing many interesting things. Many are listed here, in alphabetical order, for you to connect with.  

If you notice a group's name is missing, please reach out and let us know!

• Alaska Community Action on Toxics (AK)

• Buxmont Coalition for Safer Water (PA)

• Citizens for Safe Water Around Badger (WI)

• Clean Cape Fear (NC)

• Concerned Citizens for WMEL Water Authority (AL)

• Earthjustice (US)

• The Ecology Center (MI)

• Environmental Working Group (US)

• The Field Fund (MA)

• Fight For Zero (FL)

• Fountain Valley Clean Water Coalition (CO)

• Massachusetts Pesticide Analysis Laboratory (MPAL) (MA)

• Merrimack Citizens for Clean Water (NH)

• Mothers Safe Air Safe Water Force (AZ)

• Nantucket Land & Water Council (MA)

• Nantucket PFAS Action Group (MA)

• National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (US) - the "Supreme Court of Science"

• Natural Resources Defense Council (US)

• Need Our Water (NOW) (MI)

• Newburgh Clean Water Project (NY)

• Non Toxic Communities (US)

  • Non Toxic Dover (NH)

  • Non Toxic Portsmouth (NH)

• Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) (US)

• #PFOAProjectNY (NY) 

• Riverkeeper (NY)

• Safe Healthy Playing Fields, Inc. (US)

• Testing For Pease (NH)

• Toxic-Free Future (US)

• Toxics Use Reduction Institute (MA)

• Your Turnout Gear and PFOA (US)

Movies About PFAS Contamination and Exposure

• Burned: Protecting the Protectors - 2023 documentary about the PFAS in fire fighter turnout gear

• No Defense - 2020 documentary about the PFAS contamination from the former Wurtsmith Air Base in Oscoda, Michigan

• Dark Waters - 2019 dramatization of the story of Rob Billott, the lawyer who took on DuPont in the contamination documented in The Devil We Know

• Bad Water. Small Town. Deaf Ears. Everything You Need to Know About PFAS, But Don't Know How to Ask - 2019 documentary about the PFAS contamination in two small towns with the same corporate polluter, Saint Gobain Performance Plastics

• The Devil We Know - 2018 documentary about the PFOA contamination in West Virginia and corporate polluter, DuPont

Movies About the Flood of 1955 in Westfield

• Five Feet and Rising - 2005 documentary about the Flood of 1955, produced by the Westfield River Watershed Association (WRWA) and Hayward Communications, and premiered to an audience of 175 people as part of the Westfield River Symposium on April 2, 2005 at Westfield State College. 

• Home video Flood of '55 by @Chadhalloutdoors

PFAS Clips

• "We all have these chemicals in our bodies": PFAS and what to do about them - Dr. Linda Birnbaum

• How “forever chemicals” polluted America’s water - Vox

• PFAS and a Mother's Journey to Becoming A Clean Water Advocate - Andrea Amico, TEDx Portsmouth

• Bad Water. Small Town. Deaf Ears. Everything You Need to Know About PFAS, But Don't Know How to Ask

• Forever Chemicals - If You Don't Know, Now You Know - The Daily Show

• The Perils of PFAS - Dr. Linda Birnbaum

• PFAS - Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

• EWG Explains: PFAS - Environmental Working Group

• A PFAS Story - Hope Grosse and Joanne Stanton of Buxmont Coalition for Safe Water

• EWG and Toxic Fluorinated Chemicals: 20 Years in the Fight Against PFAS - Environmental Working Group

• Forever chemicals: The threat of PFAS in our water - CBS News

• Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) exposure promotes proliferation, migration and invasion potential in human breast epithelial cells

• Evaluation and Management Strategies for Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFASs) in Drinking Water Aquifers: Perspectives from Impacted U.S. Northeast Communities

• Short-chain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in aquatic systems: Occurrence, impacts and treatment - ScienceDirect

• Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) modify lung surfactant function and pro-inflammatory responses in human bronchial epithelial cells - ScienceDirect

• Perfluorooctanoic acid alters progesterone activity in human endometrial cells and induces reproductive alterations in young women - ScienceDirect

• Environmental Factor - February 2020: Replacement chemicals may put pregnancies at risk

• Exposure to perfluoroalkyl substances in early pregnancy and risk of sporadic first trimester miscarriage | Scientific Reports

• Fluorinated Compounds in North American Cosmetics

• Exposure to Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances and Mortality in U.S. Adults: A Population-Based Cohort Study | Environmental Health Perspectives | Vol. 130, No. 6

NOTE:  This list is still being compiled and will be updated as time allows.

• • Local PFAS activist welcomes national drinking water standard proposed by EPA - Mar 15, 2023

  • Department of Defense to Fund Study of Westfield Airport Groundwater Contamination  - Jan 26, 2023

  • WRAFT leader: Study confirms Defense Dept. responsibility for PFAS - Nov 24, 2021

  • Initial ‘Volunteer Water Bill Project’ report released - Feb 15, 2021

  • Residents sought to serve on contamination restoration board - Jan 21, 2020

  • Westfield Water PFOA Contamination Update - Connecting Point, NEPM, Dec 19, 2019

  • Timme-Laragy, Colleagues Host Visit from State Representative to Discuss PFAS Contamination - Aug 29, 2019

  • Mello talks PFAS with Board of Health - Aug 15, 2019

  • PFAS Exposure Assessment to begin, resident 'afraid' to drink city water - Jul 24, 2019

  • WRAFT among signers of letter criticizing EPA policy - Jun 10, 2019

  • Community Activists respond to EPA Action Plan on PFAS - Feb 18, 2019

  • To The Editor: Regarding Westfield Water - Jan 28, 2019

  • WRAFT is seeking participants for PFAS health study - Dec 13, 2018

  • The EPA's “Leadership Summit” on PFOA Pollution Will Exclude Victims and Community Groups - May 18, 2018

  • Residents continue to speak out during public participation - May 18, 2018

  • Kristen Mello: Westfield’s Water Warrior - May 7, 2018

  • Westfield's Water Contamination Lawsuits - Connecting Point, NEPM, Apr 16, 2018

  • Senator Elizabeth Warren's staff holds meetings on Westfield water issues - Apr 3, 2018

  • WRAFT celebrates first anniversary of advocating for clean water - The Westfield News, Feb 23, 2018

  • WRAFT celebrating first anniversary - The Westfield News, Feb 17, 2018

  • Year in Review: Westfield water contamination issues - The Westfield News, Dec 30, 2017 

  • Second petition related to city water started by WRAFT - The Westfield News, Oct 17, 2017

  • WRAFT holds panel discussion on city water - The Westfield News, Oct 12, 2017

  • WRAFT to discuss water contamination - The Westfield News, Oct 9, 2017

  • Many public informational meetings occurring in the next two weeks - The Westfield News, May 22, 2017

  • Board of health gives a determination on crumb rubber - The Westfield News, May 18, 2017

  • Residents holding a public meeting to address water concerns - The Westfield News, May 16, 2017

  • Water contamination and crumb rubber discussed at city council subcommittee meeting - The Westfield News, Apr 11, 2017