Letter to Amy Blair, Outreach Specialist for the Army Corps of Engineers - NGA West
Letter
Dear Ms. Blair:
I write to express my strong support for St. Clair County as the new home for the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency's (NGA) West Facilities Modernization, also known as NGA West. Locating it in close proximity to Scott Air Force Base best supports NGA's mission and organizational efficiency while also providing tremendous certainty and value to the taxpayer.
St. Clair County is the strongest location for NGA West and twice has been named by the Air Force as the most supportive military community in the country. Its close proximity to Scott Air Force Base significantly, and uniquely, enhances NGA's mission by aligning it with partners like Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), U.S. Transportation Command, and major Air Force headquarters. All employees -- many of whom live in southern Illinois -- would enjoy smooth access to the base through high-quality public transportation and a new exit off the I-64 interchange, as well as a de facto one percent pay raise; active, reserve, and retired military personnel could also enjoy discount shopping at the base's commissary.
In addition, Illinois also offers NGA a spacious, low-risk parcel of land, which will increase the likelihood that the project is constructed on-time and on-budget. Last week, Chairman Kern announced that St. Clair County could double the available land to 400 acres. As the Corps continues to refine its draft assessment of this area, I urge you to give full consideration to St. Clair County's assessment submitted last week, which puts the draft environmental impact statement's comments on archeological, airspace, and wetlands issues in their proper context alongside upcoming mitigation efforts. None of these issues will hold NGA back from realizing a strong, low-risk partnership with southern Illinois.
I appreciate your full consideration of these issues and I look forward to St. Clair County as the new location for NGA West.
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