$3B for FY'08 Port Security Grant Program

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said that over $3 billion is being allocated for various homeland security grant programs in fiscal year 2008. As indicated in the Overview, the Port Security Grant Program (PSGP) is funded at $388.6 million for FY08. Eligible applicants for port security grants include: owners and operators of federally regulated terminals, facilities, or US inspected passenger vessels; port authorities or other state and local agencies that provide layered security protection to federally-regulated facilities; consortia of local stakeholders (such as river groups, ports, and terminal associations) representing federally-regulated ports, terminals, US inspected passenger vessels, or ferries that provide layered security protection to federally regulated facilities; and Group I and II Fiduciary Agents. Further details are contained in the 94-page PSGP Guidance and Application Kit. Completed applications must be submitted to “grants.gov” no later than 11:59 PM EDT, March 17, 2008. This is complicated, though, by the requirement that Group I and II Captains of the Port (COTPs) must certify in writing to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) programmatic office via Coast Guard Headquarters which of three funding options those port areas will utilize and such certification must be done by February 16. Grants will be focused on port-wide risk management/mitigation and continuity-of-operations/resumption of trade. Four points used as priority selection criteria are: (1) enhancing maritime domain awareness (MDA); (2) enhancing improvised explosive device (IED) prevention, protection, response, and recovery capabilities; (3) training and exercises; and (4) efforts supporting implementation of the Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) program. (HK Law).