The Army Environmental Center, in Aberdeen, Md., works with many
federal agencies, such as the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service, as well as with small independent local agencies.
Several other branches within the Army and Defense Department contribute
to the AEC’s environmental mission, according to Cynthia Houston,
AEC’s National Outreach Team Leader.
The Assistant Secretary of the Army for installations and environment
is responsible for health, safety and logistics matters surrounding
the Army, especially at the installation level. In overseeing design,
maintenance and repair of buildings worldwide, this agency manages
the Defense Environmental Restoration Account.
The office of installations and environment also develops safety
and environmental standards for explosives, biological and chemical
programs throughout the Army.
Also at the installation level, the Army Corps of Engineers designs
training areas for the Air Force as well as the Army. The corps’
environmental restoration duties include waterway protection and
wetlands preservation.
Skilled in construction and management of local areas, the Corps
of Engineers is contracted by several federal agencies, including
the Army, for toxic waste management assistance, and its Civil Works
division teams provide expertise in areas such as geology, forestry
and archaeology.
The U.S. Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine,
like the AEC, is located at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md. With a
history spanning more than 50 years, its conception emerged from
the Army Industrial Hygiene Laboratory established at the beginning
of World War II. The laboratory was a small operation that originally
provided surveys for the Army’s industrial plants and ammunition
outposts.
Re-designated in 1994, the center focuses on preventive medicine,
including the support of wellness programs and monitoring of laboratory
science. The center also monitors environmental health and surveys
the spread of disease among members of the Army, their families
and civilian employees. A far cry from its three-person staff and
small budget during World War II, the center’s staff is now
1,056 strong.
Assistance by various Army agencies, outside organizations and
independent contractors reveals that the AEC—not unlike other
federal agencies—is working to match the best qualified experts,
from numerous fields, with issues that emerge in the center’s
day-to-day operations.