The Santa Fe Solid Waste Management Agency (SFSWMA) was formed in 1995, under the terms of the New Mexico Joint Powers Agreements Act, NMSA 1978 Sections 11-1-1- through 11-1-7, by a Joint Powers Agreement executed by the City of Santa Fe and the County of Santa Fe, New Mexico. The Agreement delegated the Agency the power to plan for, operate, construct, maintain, repair, replace or expand the Caja del Rio Landfill and ultimately the Buckman Road Recycling & Transfer Station (BuRRT).
The three parties, City, County and the Agency, each committed significant financial resources to the development of this new regional landfill. To site, permit and construct the Caja del Rio Landfill cost $18 million in 1996, with each party committing $6 million to the project. This cost included the acquisition of 640 acres of land, all structures at the Caja del Rio Landfill site as well as the construction of Cell #1 for disposal of solid waste.
For the past two years, the Caja del Rio Landfill has been using Cell 4B for disposal capacity. Cell 4B cost the Agency $5.1 million dollars to develop (excavate and line) and should provide up to four years of disposal capacity.
In 2003 the City and County approved the expansion of SFSWMA services beyond the landfill. SFSWMA embarked on the development of a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) at the old City Transfer Station to provide critical recycling processing services to the City and County of Santa Fe as well as communities across northern New Mexico. SFSWMA took over the Transfer Station on January 1, 2006 under a 20 year lease from the City.
BuRRT is currently operating as the most advanced recycling facility in NM. The development of the MRF cost the agency approximately $3 million and has the capacity to serve the recycling needs of Santa Fe for many years to come.