One of the leaders of a Delta company that cleans mine wastewater has received an industry award for excellence in social and environmental responsibility.
Lynda Smithard received the award from the Association of Mineral Exploration, for leadership in water and wastewater treatment, commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion in the mining industry.
Smithard is chief operating officer with McCue Engineering Contractors in Delta, which makes water and wastewater treatment systems.
The company produces modular treatment systems that are loaded on to trucks and moved to mining sites, oil and gas plants, where they’re installed to treat water domestic wastewater from camps, as well as wastewater from industrial processes.
The water treatment is called Panaqua, in which treatment modules can be connected to each other or other water treatment technologies for endless possibilities in water treatment, said a release from McCue.
“The industry is evolving. There’s a noticeable shift towards prioritizing water protection in mining projects, a positive change over the past decade,” Smithard said.
She described McCue Engineering as a clean-tech company rather than mining company in her acceptance speech at the Association of Mineral Exploration Roundup Awards Gala in Vancouver, Jan. 24.
McCue Engineering Contractors were chosen last June to treat the sewage water produced at Artemis Gold’s Blackwater Mine site, 160 km southwest of Prince George.
The mine is expected to begin producing gold and silver this year and should produce for at least 22 years.
