B.C. companies win reclamation awards

Westar’s Balmer coal operation in the Elk Valley of British Columbia won the top provincial award this year at the 14th annual mine reclamation symposium held recently in Cranbrook. Westar was presented its award at the 3-day conference which attracted over 140 experts in the mining industry, federal and provincial government staff and academic experts. The symposium featured research results, scientific papers and field trips to four Elk Valley coal mines.

Quintette scooped up citations for both exploration and coal mining, while other winners included Total Energold (metal mining citation) and Queenstake Resources (placer mine citation).

“These awards recognize innovative techniques, first-class research and superior reclamation efforts demonstrating mining as a temporary land use,” stated Jack Davis, mines minister. “B.C.’s mining industry continues to achieve high-quality results.”