Commercial Fixed Wing
Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Air Traffic Control Time Certified In Pos 1 (yrs) 16
Situational Awareness; Confusion
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance
Airspace Structure; Human Factors; Manuals; Procedure
[The flight] departed with a filed final altitude of 15;000 ft. I gave him his descend via clearance on the arrival. My MIA (Minimum IFR Altitude) in that area is 14;000 ft.; and that route; at 15;000 ft.; has been safe for more than the 20 years that I have been a Controller in [this Area]. Upon investigation; the MVA (Minimum Vectoring Altitude) in Approach's airspace is 15;500 ft. on that arrival. This is not information that is posted or referenced anywhere in the area. We have not been briefed on Approach's MVA's and have no knowledge of them.The Approach Controller took the handoff and I shipped the aircraft. The aircraft was level at 15;000 ft. There was no phone call to alert me that aircraft was below Approach's MVA's in MY airspace. There was no phone call to request Control to try and fix the situation per the 7110.65. The aircraft was safe in my airspace. Although the aircraft was not at the altitude per the Letter of Agreement; it was a safe altitude. And it continued to be safe even into Approach's airspace.Additionally; the MVA for Approach should not be higher than the MIA at Center. All aircraft on the arrival should be at the lowest restriction for the fix. Significant changes such as the new LOA (Letter of Agreement); including METROPLEX; should be verbally briefed the week before it takes effect. There were shelves implemented; changes in MIA's and MVA's; configuration changes; significant phraseology changes; [and] names on the arrivals that were hard to decipher. I asked in the briefing [earlier this year] that a list of the fixes be clarified and distributed to the areas; [but] was told that wasn't necessary.
Center Controller reported descending an aircraft they handed off to Approach to an altitude contrary to the procedure in the Letter of Agreement and discovered that the Approach Control's altitude minimum is higher than the Center's minimum altitude in that airspace.