It’s the first agreement of its kind in the entire U.S. Army: a new intergovernmental agreement between White Sands Missile Range and the South Central Solid Waste Authority for support services, resulting in expanded recycling efforts and new local jobs.
“This Intergovernmental Support Agreement creates two new local positions: one new heavy equipment operator and one new solid waste laborer (who is) responsible for delivery and overall maintenance and repairs of recycling and solid waste dumpsters at WSMR,” said Patrick Peck, SCSWA director. “This agreement was ten years in the making; the SCSWA Board of Directors is very pleased to see the growth in our larger community with recycling and solid waste management.”
This is WSMR’s first IGSA on record and the first in the U.S. Army to provide both solid waste and recycling services. IGSAs are a fairly recent phenomenon for the U.S. Army. The first IGSA was established in 2002 between the Presidio of Monterey (an active U.S. military installation) and the City of Monterey, California. The National Defense Authorization Act of 2013 expanded the authority to enter into IGSAs with local and state governments for installation support services.
“This agreement amplifies the partnership with the City of Las Cruces and with SCSWA and WSMR,” said WSMR Garrison Commander Col. Chris Ward. “The final agreement creates jobs for the city of Las Cruces, keeps monies within the local community, and realizes a significant cost saving for the government. It is a win-win for all the stakeholders involved.”