AWARDS: BC prizes for reclamation and scholarships handed out

WILLIAMS LAKE, B.C. – The British Columbia Technical and Research Committee on Reclamation (TRCR) presented the 2017 B.C. mine reclamation awards on Sept. 19 at its 41st Annual BC Mine Reclamation Symposium in Williams Lake. [caption id="attachment_1003724986" align="alignleft" width="300"] Teck Coal won the TRCR award for its biodiversity efforts at Line Creek. (Photo: Teck Resources)[/caption] The Teck Highland Valley Copper partnership took home the Jake McDonald Annual Mine Reclamation award. The use of tailings ponds and pit lakes as passive water treatment facilities at the mine site was recognized. Teck Coal won the Coal Reclamation Award for its reforestation of Horseshoe Ridge at the Line Creek operation. Working with local communities, the Ktunaxa Nation, and regulatory agencies, the company developed a new approach. One example is the increased biodiversity is in the variety of plant species used. In 2013 and 2014, for example, approximately 250,000 seedlings including 34 different native and culturally important species were planted. Preliminary results from monitoring indicate that this new approach is working. Winners of the 2017 and 2018 Jake McDonald Memorial Scholarships were announced – Lina Xie (University of B.C.), Landon Benson (Simon Fraser University), Cameron Weatherhead (B.C. Institute of Technology), and Hailey Make (Thompson Rivers University). Follow the BC TRCR on Twitter or visit www.TRCR.BC.ca.