>>ANNOUNCER: More than 800 people with one mission -- promoting a healthy environment.
We are The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection.
>>GREG ADOLFSON: The mission of the Department of Environmental Protection is a simple one,
but not something that one agency can achieve on its own.
>>KELLEY GILLENWATER: Every year, the DEP recognizes the work of companies, groups and
individuals who are working toward the same goal: promoting a healthy environment.
Cabinet Secretary Randy Huffman presented 23 Environmental Awards of Excellence during
a ceremony at DEP headquarters in Charleston. Industrial awards are based on exemplary environmental
performance and a record of compliance with regulatory authorities. Facilities were nominated
by the DEP inspectors who work to ensure their compliance with the law. Other Environmental
Award winners were nominated by DEP personnel who work with volunteer and other community-based
efforts. >>Randy Huffman: Protecting the environment
is not something that the DEP does alone. It’s not something that – there’s just
not enough people, there’s not enough resources. It takes a collective effort. It takes all
of us working together. It takes all of the eyes and ears out there on the ground in order
to make it happen. And what you are being recognized for today is just a sampling of
what is going on out there in the state on a daily basis that contributes toward protecting
the environment and being able to properly manage our resources and manage our resources
in an effective manner. >>KELLEY: Taking top honors this year with
the Cabinet Secretary’s Award was the Coal River Group.
>>RANDY: What you have in the Coal River Watershed is an active group of folks that live and
work and play there that are committed to restoring that river and we’ve spent a lot
of time and money there but we’re not doing that work. We’re partnering with them and
that’s what makes the difference. There’s no amount of money, taxpayer money that can
be spent cleaning up and fixing up the coal river just by us coming in and doing it. It’s
that partnership that’s key and we really appreciate that.”
>>KELLEY: Coal River Group was also recently honored at Watershed Appreciation Day. Here’s
a profile of the group – in their own words… >>CHRIS RADFORD: What motivated the Coal River
Group to form - about 10 or 11 years ago, two guys got together at their local bar and
they were all trying to decide whether or not the river, the Coal River, was safe to
swim in. We'd all swam in it as kids but was it safe today? And basically, that's how we
got started. We got a group together and we did water samples, got out in the water to
make sure that it was safe to swim in and that's how we starteed.
>>BILL CURRY: What we've done is to minimize possible controversy and create an atmosphere
of fun and accomplishment. People seem to be complementary about our organization because
of the fun they have doing real hard, dirty work. But it's an attitude and it's one we've
had from the beginning and it's been very helpful.
>>SARAH COTTINGHAM: The most notable thing that distinguishes Coal River Group from other
non-profits is that it's run like a business. Yeah, we have fun and we're all about cleaning
up the rivers but we go about it in a manner that's is businesslike. We have set goals,
set vision. We lay out steps to get to each of them so we've got a five year plan and
in two or three years. we've checked off everything on the list.
>>BILL SIMMONS: I think we're going to see stream restoration work -- a great improvement
in paddling opportunities, a great improvement in benthic - in fish habitat and a lot more
use of the river by everyone that lives here. >>SARAH: We're all about what can we do as
everyday people -- as regular citizens. How can we make a difference and actually wake
up in the morning and say, OK, today I'm going to do this and whatever it is, it's a can-do
attitude. >>CHRIS: I just think it's a great river.
We're done a lot over the 10 years to bring it back to life and we keep striving to make
things better as we go. >>KELLEY: Tackling the problem of litter with
the help of some DEP grants... >>GREG: We're back in a moment.