Teck Trail Operations recognized with TSM Leadership Award

Teck Trail Operations in British Columbia has been awarded with a special TSM Leadership Award.

For its outstanding performance in the Towards Sustainable Mining (TSM) initiative’s three focus areas—environmental stewardship, communities and people, and energy efficiency—Teck Trail Operations in British Columbia has been awarded with a special TSM Leadership Award.

The TSM Leadership Award is granted only when a facility meets or exceeds a level “A” ranking in their results across all of the six protocols of the TSM initiative – Aboriginal and community outreach, crisis management, safety and health, tailings management, biodiversity conservation management, and energy use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions management. (As Trail Operations do not have tailings facilities, they do not report on the tailings management protocol.) A facility’s TSM results must be externally verified to be eligible for this recognition.

“The TSM Leadership Award recognizes Trail Operations’ success in implementing best practices in the mining and smelting industry,” said Pierre Gratton, MAC’s President and CEO. “This is Teck’s third operation to have received this distinction in the past two years – a remarkable achievement unmatched in Canada’s mining industry.”

Teck Trail Operations was honoured with TSM Performance Awards for each of the five applicable performance areas, as well as the TSM Leadership Award for its 2013 results.

“This award reflects the dedication of all the employees at Trail Operations to operating in a responsible and sustainable manner,” said Don Lindsay, President and CEO, Teck. “Teck is committed to engaging with communities, improving sustainability performance, and protecting the environment. Our participation in the Towards Sustainable Mining initiative helps to support that ongoing work.”

“We are proud of this recognition from MAC, which highlights our commitment to continuous improvement,” said Greg Belland, General Manager, Trail Operations. “Our community partnerships with organizations such as the Trail Health and Environment Committee are key factors in this achievement.”

While Trail’s scores reflect leadership across all TSM performance areas, the facility stands out for demonstrating best practices in Aboriginal and community outreach and biodiversity conservation management. In these areas, Trail Operations achieved the highest possible ranking—level “AAA”—across all of the indicators that make up these protocols.

Teck Trail Operations joins an elite group of a small number of mine sites that have achieved this distinction in TSM’s 10-year history, including Syncrude Canada’s oil sands facility (awarded in 2007), Barrick Gold Corporation’s Hemlo Mine (awarded in 2011), Teck’s Elkview Operations (awarded in 2013), and Teck’s Cardinal River Operations (awarded in 2014).

Trail Operations is owned and operated by Teck Metals Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Teck Resources Limited. Trail Operations includes one of the world’s largest fully-integrated zinc and lead smelting and refining complexes, a two-thirds interest in the Waneta hydroelectric dam, and ownership of the dam’s transmission system. The metallurgical operations produce refined zinc and lead and a variety of precious and specialty metals, chemicals, and fertilizer products. Trail Operations employs 1,500 people and has been in operation for over a century.