White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico
North Wind Services, LLC has been the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and US Army’s environmental contractor at White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) since 2011–providing environmental services, compliance support, and environmental assistance/inspection program management installation-wide to the largest overland military test range in the United States. WSMR encompasses about 3,200 square miles in southeastern New Mexico. It was historically established for long-range missile testing and is now home to a wide range of facilities for testing, research and development, evaluation, and training activities conducted by the US Army, US Navy, US Air Force, NASA, and other government agencies and private industries.
Our team supports the Army Garrison Environmental Compliance Directorate in ensuring compliance with federal and state environmental regulations, a tricky task with a facility that conducts so many different types of activities with potential environmental impacts.
“We’ve corrected hundreds of regulatory discrepancies, helping the installation avoid fines and penalties,” said Aran Armstrong, Program Manager at WSMR. “North Wind has also been instrumental in preparing WSMR for state, EPA and Army regulatory audits, many of them unannounced. Our focus has been helping the facility stay on top of the many varied regulations that apply to a range of this size.”
North Wind conducts monitoring and testing across the remote location while interfacing with a large and varied work force from civilian to soldier, all of whom participate in activities that have the potential to impact the environmental compliance status of the range.
A focus on training facility personnel for waste management practices and hazardous material operations has been key to compliance. North Wind provides long-term groundwater monitoring for RCRA landfills and other regulated units, as well as continued compliance for three public drinking water systems. Personnel monitor wastewater discharges from six wastewater treatment plants, and inspect industrial stormwater sites as well as support WSMR’s Title V air compliance program.
Along with several other large-scale GIS surveys, North Wind staff led an innovative project including helicopter-flight based LiDAR topographical survey data and remote sensing, while working with USACE to help predict flooding on the installation.
The contract also includes Qualified Recycling Program support for collection and resale of scrap metal, cardboard, and other recyclables.
