AME gives ESG award to Lynda Smithard of McCue Engineering

The Association of Mineral Exploration (AME) presented Lynda Smithard, COO of McCue Engineering Contractors, with the prestigious 2023 AME Robert R. Hedley Award for excellence in social and environmental responsibility. The award recognizes her outstanding leadership in water and wastewater treatment; commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion within the mining industry; and advocacy for the B.C. mining sector.

The award ceremony took place at the AME Roundup awards gala held in Vancouver on Jan. 24, 2024. The event brought together mining industry leaders to celebrate remarkable contributions to the mining sector.

McCue Engineering manufactures PanAqua water and wastewater treatment systems. Established in 2000, the company is committed to excellence and has a proven track record of delivering innovative and sustainable solutions for mining, oil and gas, other industrial wastewater, drinking water, and domestic wastewater. PanAqua systems are designed to be flexible, durable, and practical. Treatment modules can be interconnected to each other and to other water treatment technologies, making treatment possibilities endless.

McCue also developed TIPs for water treatment, a training and employment program designed to enable Indigenous people to find careers in environmental applied science in or near their home communities.

"The work I’ve done and that of my company to develop our training program, TIPs, and our brand, PanAqua, was driven by all of you and the unique, and often challenging, needs of your projects. McCue, as a 24-year-old and growing cleantech company, not a mining company, is still, in my opinion, a B.C. mining industry success story,” Smithard stated during her acceptance.

She also highlighted the significance of a shift within the mining industry toward an emphasis on prioritizing water protection in mining projects. “The industry is evolving. There's a noticeable shift toward prioritizing water protection in mining projects, a positive change over the past decade.”

AME is the lead association for the mineral exploration and development industry based in British Columbia. Read more about the 2024 Roundup on the AME website.