Kanawha County Commission honors retiring Coal River Group co-founder

CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK) – A man who has dedicated more than the last two decades to keeping a Kanawha County waterway clean was honored this week by the Kanawha County Commission.

Bill Currey is retiring from his role as a leader of the Coal River Group after 24 years of service. He and three other men started the group in 2002 when they decided the polluted Coal River needed cleaning. They stepped up and committed to making things better for the entire community.

“The Kanawha County Commission hereby recognizes and celebrates Bill Currey for an amazing career,” the commissioners said during Thursday night’s meeting. “Your dedication to restoring and preserving the Coal River watershed is outstanding. Your work is very important, and we are grateful for everything you’ve done to improve our community. We wish you well, and hope you enjoyment.”

Currey told 13 News last week that the reason he’s stepping back into a more hands-off role is due to his age, but he’s confident that the Coal River Group will stay as strong as ever.

“Back in the day when it was just nothin’, we started. We saw a lake that needed repaired. We saw trails that needed to be built, and our volunteers – we’ve had 600 of them over the years – have helped do so much out there,” Currey said during the commission meeting Thursday.

The commissioners say Currey has left a lasting impact on the community from cleaning up the Coal River with hundreds of volunteers to being a key figure in starting the Tour de Coal.

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