Winners of the 2012 Mining and Sustainability Award Announced-Britannia Mine Museum and Sechelt Lehigh Materials

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - May 1, 2013) - The Britannia Mine Museum and Sechelt Lehigh Materials are co-recipients of the 2012 Mining and Sustainability Award.

Presented by the Mining Association of British Columbia and the Province, this annual award recognizes the diverse companies, communities, First Nations, non-governmental organizations, government agencies and individuals committed to advancing and promoting sustainable development in the B.C. mining sector.

The Britannia Mine Museum is located on the site of the former Britannia Mine on the Sea-to-Sky Highway between Vancouver and Squamish. The Britannia Mine operated from 1900 to 1974, and the museum has been instrumental in helping to remediate the site. This non-profit, self-supporting charity first opened in 1975 as the British Columbia Museum of Mining and changed its name in 2010. Although it is not an actual mining operation, the Britannia Mine Museum contributes to promoting sustainability in the mining sector in a number of ways. The museum provides a hands-on experience for visitors and educates them about the history of mining in B.C. as well as the role of the industry in this province in the present and future. In everything it does, the Britannia Mine Museum strives to illustrate to the general public the contributions that mining makes to British Columbia.

The Sechelt mine is located on the Sunshine Coast and is one of the largest aggregate operations in Canada. Lehigh Materials has worked hard to develop a mutually respectful and supportive relationship with the neighbouring Sechelt Band. The Sechelt Mine is one of the largest employers for band members in the area, and the band is directly involved in progressive reclamation efforts on the mine site. The Sechelt mine's commitments to health and safety, the environment and reclamation have been recognized in the past: The operation received the Stewart O'Brien Award at the 50^th annual Mine Safety Awards for having one of the lowest injury-frequency rates of mines in B.C. which logged between 35,000 and 200,000 worker hours in the 2011 calendar year. The Sechelt Mine also received the Jake McDonald Award at the B.C. Mine Reclamation Awards in 2010 for outstanding achievement in reclamation.

The 2012 Mining and Sustainability Award will be presented to the Britannia Mine Museum on Saturday, May 4, 2013, during Family Fun Day, a Mining Week celebration being held at the Museum. At Family Fun Day, visitors of all ages can enjoy family friendly activities, including gold-panning races, pony rides and the underground train, as well as learn how mining influences their daily lives through exhibits and educational resources. The Britannia Mine Museum is open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with guided tours throughout the day. For more information, please visit www.britanniaminemuseum.ca.

The Sechelt mine will receive its award hardware during its annual open house on Saturday, September 14, 2013.

Quotes

"The Museum values this award because it recognizes the standard by which we operate and contribute to improving awareness about the importance of mining and minerals to society. The Museum is sharing ideas and practices of environmental renewal and sustainability and is doing so in a credible way using the stories and experiences of Britannia Beach." - Kirsten Clausen, Executive Director, Britannia Mine Museum

"SYLVIS is honoured that Lehigh Materials' Sechelt mine has received the 2012 Mining and Sustainability Award. SYLVIS and Lehigh have been working together for over a decade on the progressive biosolids mine reclamation program at the Sechelt mine. Reclamation has always been a top priority for Lehigh, and this award recognizes their commitment to sustainability." - Mike Van Ham, President of SYLVIS Environmental