Safe Port

U.S. Partners for Sea Freight Security

The United States will work with six nations in Asia, Europe and the Americas to improve port security and prevent nuclear-related smuggling by using advanced detection tools to scan containers for nuclear and radiological materials. The Secure Freight Initiative - unveiled December 7 and supported by the departments of Homeland Security, Energy, State and others - will spend $60 million to put sophisticated detection equipment in key ports to protect international commerce from the threat of nuclear weapons or the spread of radioactive contamination from an exploding dirty bomb, according to Homeland Security. Specialized X-ray equipment and optical scanners will be sent to Pakistan's Port Qasim and Honduras' Puerto Cortes in February 2007. By summer 2007, detection equipment will be operating in the British port of Southampton. The effort will expand later in 2007 to South Korea's Port Busan, Oman's Port Salalah and the Port of Singapore. Partnerships for Safe Ports Implementing the Secure Freight Initiative will address congressional requirements - established by the Safe Ports Act of 2006 - to scan 100 percent of the U.S.-bound cargo located in at least three overseas ports. The equipment bound for the ports will scan for radioactivity as well as concealed suspicious cargo. Separately, U.S. Customs and Border Control announced December 7 that the United States and Colombia will work together to prevent nuclear material from being smuggled into U.S. ports

Port Leaders to Respond to FY08 Budget Request

A news conference will be held on February 5, responding to President Bush’s FY’08 budget request and how it could adversely affect U.S. seaport security, trade and waterside access to U.S. public ports. Discussing these issues will be Kurt Nagle, president/CEO of the American Association of Port Authorities, and Warren McCrimmon, who is the seaport director for the Toledo-Lucas County (Ohio) Port Authority and AAPA’s 2007 U.S. Delegation chairman.

Port Leaders to Question Administration Proposed Funding

At a news conference beginning at the National Press Club, the top two leaders representing public port authorities in the United States will respond to the Bush Administration’s recommended appropriation levels for the Department of Homeland Security’s Port Security Grant program and the portion of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Civil Works program that provides crucial navigation access to ports. Representing the American Association of Port Authorities will be Kurt Nagle

Port Terminals Risk Millions with Lame Grant Strategies

Forget 2012; work on the funds already awarded. Port terminals risk losing their one last shot at millions in FEMA/DHS Port Security Grant Funds if they don’t act decisively before Sept. 2012.   As of Jan. 31, 2012 FEMA reports that the most at-risk port communities in America have banked $303,980,061 of the $1,369,263, 074 awarded to ports, terminals and security agencies from FY 2007 through 2010, “leaving a balance of $1,065,283,014.”

3D Vessel Tracking: A New Course in Port Traffic Control

Marine operators and entities have long struggled with the most efficient, effective means to monitor and manage traffic in increasingly busy ports around the world. The marine industry, unlike the airline industry, is unique in that mixed with high levels of commercial traffic is a broad and ever changing mix of personal watercraft of varying sizes, with equal variables in terms of operator experience. Thus the ability to rapidly collect, compute

Controlling Maritime Security Cost

It is expected that the USCG will begin stepping up compliance measures and holding companies more accountable to the codes and regulations of the Maritime Security Act of 2002 (MTSA). The anticipated actions by the USCG, combined with the current cost of normal security procedures, will make it increasingly more difficult for companies to balance compliance with manageable security budgets. In addition, companies that lack the knowledge and experience to maintain full compliance run the risk

Concordia Orders New P-MAX Tankers

Concordia has now exercised its option at Brodosplit Shipyard in Split, Croatia, to order a further two Stena P-MAX product tankers at a predetermined price. This means that Concordia now has six vessels on order at the shipyard for delivery in 2005-2006. Superior economy, safety and environmental friendliness The vessels, called Stena P-MAX, are conceptually similar to the two V- MAX tankers utilised by Concordia to transport oil from West Africa to

Asian Nations Address Maritime Security

Realizing that their countries’ economic health and well being depend largely on their ability to provide safe and secure shipping operations – defending against everything from terrorism to pirates to smugglers – twenty-one nations with Pacific Ocean ports recently met to discuss the current status and future prospects of maritime security. The meeting was held for two days in Manila, Reuters reported, for members of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum

TSA Issues Notice on Operation Safe

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) issued a notice modifying the delivery instructions for receipt of applications under the Operation Safe Commerce Cooperative Agreement Program. The ports of LA/LB, Seattle/Tacoma, and New York/New Jersey have been invited to submit proposals for funding consideration under this initiative. Applications must be received on or before 4 p.m., March 20, 2003. Entities planning to submit applications under this program should read the notice

Iridium Sand Impeva to Expand Collaboration

Iridium Satellite and Impeva Labs will expand their current collaboration in the implementation of a real-time container monitoring, tracking and security system on behalf of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ). PANYNJ recently awarded a contract to Impeva Labs as part of the federal Operation Safe Commerce (OSC) Phase III. Iridium and Impeva Labs have collaborated during the past four years in several platforms and products