Simmons to manage PDAC’s E3 program

The Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) has appointed Barry Simmons as project manager of E3 (Environmental Excellence in Exploration), an online guide to environmental practice in mining exploration throughout the world. He replaces Neil Westoll, who started the $500,000 project in January 2002.

A former regional vice-president of exploration with Teck Cominco, 61-year-old Simmons will be responsible for boosting awareness of the project and bolstering flagging subscription sales.

E3 now has about 40 subscribers, of which 30 are individuals. Subscriptions for PDAC members are as follows: $150 for an individual; $400 for a junior mining company; $1,000 for a small producing company; $2,000 for an intermediate producer; and $4,000 for a senior company. The rates double for non-members.

E3 has been sponsored by various large companies, including Falconbridge, Noranda, Inco and Gold Fields. In return for funding, they were given free subscriptions to E3 for one year.

Simmons previously served on the PDAC’s board of directors and was chairman of the association’s educational committee during the development of PDAC Mining Matters, a program designed for elementary schools. After receiving his bachelor of science degree in geology from Carleton University in 1966, he helped discover the Winston Lake zinc deposit in Ontario and the Corbet massive sulphide copper-zinc-gold-silver deposit in Quebec. He also participated in the initial exploration of the McArthur River uranium project in Saskatchewan.

Simmons says the PDAC wants most mining companies to be subscribers to E3 by the end of 2003. The additional revenue would be used to upgrade the program.

E3 was initiated four years ago when a group of large mining companies tried to establish an e-manual for environmental practices. They eventually approached the PDAC, which agreed to run the project with Westoll as manager.

The web-based, 841-page e-manual is an edited amalgamation of best-practice guidelines from six major companies, with contributions from governments and individuals. The information is used by geoscientists, prospectors, governments, contractors, mining company managers, and non-governmental organizations.

The first release of E3 offers guidelines for discovering mineral deposits. Reserve definition and bulk sampling will likely be included in subsequent versions.