Catch up on the latest sustainability news:

Philadelphia Water Department appoints new commissioner. Benjamin C. Jewell, who previously served as the Acting Water Commissioner, has been appointed as Commissioner of PWD. Jewell will be responsible for overseeing a staff of approximately 2,200 people who manage integrated water, wastewater, and stormwater services for Philadelphia. 

City launches Illegal Dumping Task Force. Philadelphia’s Office of Clean and Green Initiatives is launching a dumping task force, named One Philly, A United City Illegal Dumping Task Force. The task force will increase surveillance, cleanups, and enforcement of illegal dumping penalties, according to a statement from the city. 

Tool Library held a fundraiser at the end of its lease. The West Philly Tool Library recently announced the sudden end of its lease at its current location. The library – which loans tools and provides home maintenance classes for a steep discount – held a silent auction fundraiser on Saturday to help with the costs of moving to a new location. 

Energy assistance program delayed with government shutdown. Pennsylvania’s Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program will be delayed one month due to the federal government shutdown. LIHEAP provides financial assistance to low-income homeowners, but the program does not have the federal funding necessary to run during the month of November. The impact may be felt more steeply this year as energy prices continue to rise. NBC Philadelphia

Recent events:

Congratulations to the SustainPHL awards winners. At the eighth annual SustainPHL Awards hosted by Green Philly on Thursday, local environmental champions and changemakers came together to recognize their achievements. Check out the award winners here. 

People-powered vehicles reign supreme at the Kinetic Derby. The Fishtown Kensington Business Improvement District and the East Kensington Neighbors Association held their yearly Kensington Derby and Arts Festival on Saturday celebrating homemade, people-powered vehicles and local artistry. 

Cover photo: Dumping at Fairhill and Annsbury streets in North Philadelphia, as reported to Philly 311 on March 8, 2022 (Twitter/@philly311photos)

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Angie Bacha (she/her) is a Philadelphia-based solutions journalist and recent Erasmus Mundus Master's in Journalism, Media and Globalisation student in Aarhus, Denmark. Previously, she worked as a student journalist at Community College of Philadelphia and Editorial Intern at Resolve Philly. Some other hats she has worn: Human Rights and Theatre Studies graduate; teaching artist; carpenter; AmeriCorps volunteer; and rock climbing gym shift supervisor. NEWS TIPS: angiebacha1@gmail.com View all posts by Angie Bacha