About Us
History
In 2016, residents in Westfield, MA began to become aware of the long-standing contamination of their water supply by Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, from aqueous film forming foam used in firefighting training exercises.
Frustrated with a lack of information and officials who claimed an "abundance of caution" was being used despite the absence of information, residents began reaching out to one another and academic researchers, utilizing their talents to begin educating themselves and each other, and advocating for their community.
Westfield Residents Advocating For Themselves (WRAFT) was officially founded as an ad-hoc group of friends, family, and neighbors. WRAFT became a Massachusetts nonprofit in 2022, and became a federally registered 501(c)(3) charitable organization in 2024.
Since 2017, we have successfully:
held PFAS educational events for community members and legislators, and
advocated for
public participation in the Barnes cleanup process,
a PFAS Exposure Assessment in Westfield, and for
Barnes Air National Guard Base remediation to be covered under the Defense Environmental Restoration Program.
We have also served:
in Community Liaison capacity for the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine's Guidance on PFAS Exposure, Testing, and Clinical Follow-Up,
as Community Members on the Barnes ANGB Restoration Advisory Board, and
offering expert testimony for other PFAS affected communities.
And yet there is still so much more to do... Westfield residents still don't have universal testing for PFAS or PFAS related health effects. There is no medical monitoring in place for contaminated communities, and no education for residents about what to do now that they have been exposed.
Mission
WRAFT's mission is to provide education and advocacy for residents affected by the pollution of their natural resources.
WRAFTers
Our Board of Directors
President/Director
Kristen Mello, M.Sc., has been WRAFT’s Director since our 2017 founding. She led WRAFT’s effort to get a public involvement process started for the PFAS cleanup at Barnes Air National Guard Base, and one of the ATSDR’s PFAS Exposure Assessments, including the first PFAS blood testing for Westfield residents. Her PFAS advocacy work, in large part, led to her being elected a Westfield City Councilor At-large in 2019, 2021, and 2023.
Vice President
Christopher Clark, M.Sc., is honored to serve as the Vice-President of WRAFT. Chris spent the first 18 years of his life in Westfield, until he left for studies at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst; and then subsequently to the University of Michigan. Back at UMASS in 2017, Chris joined a developmental toxicology lab that studies the impacts of PFAS and was made aware that a PFAS contamination had hit his hometown. Chris became involved with WRAFT and has worked with the organization and local community ever since.
Clerk
Mary O'Connell, a graduate of Colgate University (BA Political Science) and Boston University (MA Urban Affairs) has served on Westfield's City Council for over a dozen years. O'Connell has served on Natural Resources (Chair), Zoning, Planning and Development (Chair), Legislative and Ordinance, Personnel, and other committees of the Council. As a member of WRAFT she has worked for PFAS reform for the City of Westfield, traveling to many meetings in both Boston and Washington DC. In addition to her water quality work, Mary has been on several local Boards and volunteers for several non-profits.
Treasurer
Dawn Thomas
Corporate Filing
Link to WRAFT's Corporate Filing
