|
MIAMI, Fla. (June 2, 2003)
-- The Army signed a contract today with Florida International University
designed to foster military-to-military information exchanges
that
promote collaboration on environmental issues of common concern and promote
the enhanced use of renewable energy sources within the Western
Hemisphere.
Assistant Secretary of the Army for
Installations and Environment, Mario P. Fiori, and Florida International
University President, Modesto A. Maidique,
signed the
$5 million, 4-year contract in a ceremony held at the FIU-Engineering Center.
The contract will be jointly managed
by the FIU Hemispheric Center for Environmental
Technology (HCET) and the Center for Energy and Technology of the Americas
(CETA). The program will assist in identifying environmental issues facing
military installations
of Western Hemisphere countries in which the exchange of information, expertise,
and lessons learned would benefit the environment and installation management
of participating countries.
“We are looking forward to this
continued partnership with the U.S. Army,” said
Maidique. “This program is an excellent example of how the University
can help the military accomplish its important missions around the world.”
Fiori noted that environmental concerns
extend beyond national boundaries, and the environmental issues
that U.S. installations have faced are similar
to those
with which the U.S.’s neighbors struggle, such as encroachment, building
sustainable communities, maintaining clean air and water, and providing for quality
of life for soldiers and their families.
“Preventing environmental stress
and instability is a challenge, but also an opportunity for the
United States Army and the militaries of our Western Hemisphere
neighbors
to cooperate and share knowledge,” Fiori said. “We believe
there is considerable good that can be accomplished by sharing such
information and
learning from our collective experiences.”
The contract was facilitated by the
Army’s Office of Small and Disadvantaged
Business Utilization, which competed and awarded the contract through its Historically
Black College and University/Minority Institutions Program.
“This award further demonstrates
the Army's strong commitment to provide opportunities for minority
institutions to participate in Army funded programs. We look
forward
to working with Florida International University," said Tracey
Pinson, Director of the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business
Utilization.
Immediately after the ceremony, Army
and FIU representatives held their first meeting to outline next
steps.
“The first step will be to do
a viability assessment of each of the 34 participating countries
to see where mutual goals and opportunities for cooperation exist,” said
HCET director Ali Ebadian. “Then we will begin work with
the individual militaries to identify issues related to installations,
environment and renewable
energy.”
For more information, contact Maydel
Santana-Bravo, at Florida International University, 305-348-1555,
santanam@fiu.edu or
Karen Baker at Army
Public Affairs, 703-697-7592, Karen.Baker2@hqda.army.mil
For more information on the FIU Hemispheric
Center for Environmental Technology, visit their web site at
http://www.hcet.fiu.edu/
|