M7.7 Agency's Role

US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)  The USACE is a federal agency under the Department of Defense and is made up of at least 37,000 civilian and military personnel. The mission of the USACE is to deliver public and military engineer services to energize the economy and reduce risks from disasters. The agency's role include; planning, designing, building and operating locks and dams. Projects include flood control and dredging for water navigation. It's mission areas include; civil works, military missions, environmental, emergency operations, research & development, and sustainability. 

The USACE manages various environmental programs that focus on restoration and stewardship. The USACE oversees full protection and cleanup activities such as; 

• Cleaning up sites contaminated with hazardous, toxic or radioactive waste or ordnance through the Formerly Used Defense Sites program
• Cleaning up low-level radioactive waste from the nation’s early atomic weapons program through the Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program
• Supporting the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency by cleaning up Superfund sites and working with its Brownfields and Urban Waters programs
• Supporting the Army with the Base Realignment and Closure Act program
• Ensuring that facilities comply with federal, state and local environmental laws
• Conserving cultural and natural resource

In recent news, the USACE has been involve with the building of the Dakota Access Pipeline. Before leaving office, President Obama ordered the USACE to access the implications of the Dakota Access Pipeline on the propose land use. Pipelines are known to damage the environment by contaminating water and land. The conclusions made by the USACE was that information was needed in ordered for the pipeline to be rerouted and the construction of the pipeline was halted. Recently, President Trump signed an executive order pushing the USACE to grant easement for the Dakota Access Pipeline. 

The USACE has an influence on the infrastructure built that can ultimately be a harm to the environment.