Huntsville Center executes 52 cooperative agreements, strengthens nationwide environmental partnerships

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. – The U.S. Army Engineering and Support Center, Huntsville, Environmental and Munitions Center of Expertise completed the award and execution of 52 cooperative agreements by July 1, ensuring uninterrupted support for Department of War environmental restoration activities across the United States and its territories for fiscal years 2026-28.

The agreements cover 47 states, the District of Columbia, and four U.S. territories: American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and Puerto Rico. Together, they represent every state and territorial partner currently eligible to receive funding under the Defense and State Memorandum of Agreement Program.

Although the award phase typically takes about eight weeks, the Huntsville Center EMCX team completed the fiscal 2026-28 awards in just 12 days. The accelerated schedule followed the delayed receipt of DoW funding, last-minute component funding coordination, regulatory changes requiring extensive revisions to the agreement template, new G-Invoicing requirements, and the first use of the Army Contract Writing System for the program.

The accomplishment demonstrates Huntsville Center’s ability to manage complex, geographically dispersed programs that require close coordination among state and territorial governments, DoW components, legal advisers, financial managers, and technical experts.

Under the cooperative agreements, participating environmental agencies receive reimbursement for eligible work that supports environmental restoration at active military installations, base realignment and closure sites, and formerly used defense sites. That work includes reviewing cleanup documents, participating in technical meetings and site visits, coordinating with installation personnel, supporting public involvement, and providing timely regulatory input.

For state and federal government leaders, the award cycle offers a practical example of what the Huntsville Center brings to complex intergovernmental missions. The Center can assemble a team of highly skilled individuals from a wide range of disciplines under a centralized management structure, giving partners a coordinated path from initial planning and funding development through award and execution.

That approach can help government organizations standardize business practices, improve accountability, reduce administrative burdens, and maintain visibility into requirements across multiple agencies and locations. Huntsville Center’s lack of geographic boundaries also enables it to deliver specialized services for regional, national, and global missions that may extend beyond the capabilities or boundaries of a traditional U.S. Army Corps of Engineers district.

About the DSMOA Program

Congress established the Defense and State Memorandum of Agreement Program in 1986 under the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act. The program provides a formal framework for Department of War components and state and territorial environmental agencies to coordinate environmental restoration activities while preserving the agencies’ independent regulatory roles. States and territories with an executed DSMOA may receive reimbursement through cooperative agreements for eligible services that support cleanup activities at active installations, Base Realignment and Closure sites, and Formerly Used Defense Sites.

About Huntsville Center

The U.S. Army Engineering and Support Center, Huntsville, is a specialized U.S. Army Corps of Engineers organization that is not limited by geographic boundaries. The Center provides specialized technical expertise, global engineering solutions, and cutting-edge innovations through centrally managed programs that support national interests. Its workforce of more than 1,000 professionals supports environmental, energy, operational technology, medical, and base operations and facilities missions from locations in Huntsville, Alabama; Omaha, Nebraska; and Alexandria, Virginia.