Port of NY/NJ to Get More Funding

Annual funding to protect the perimeters of New York's and New Jersey's ports will be boosted nearly fourfold, the Department of Homeland Security was to announce Monday. The increase, from $6.6 million to $25.7 million, follows a public outcry sparked in June, when the agency decided to slash New York City's share of terror grants for cities by 40 percent, or $83 million. The new money is meant to help ports guard against attacks by land or sea but is not designed to pay for cargo screening or container inspections. The change in funding was confirmed Sunday by Rep. Peter King, R-Long Island, who chairs the House Homeland Security Committee. In justifying their decision to cut New York's share, federal authorities said their review process found no national monuments or icons in the city. When that finding was widely derided, authorities said landmarks including the Brooklyn Bridge were counted in other categories.

In response to the decision, The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said: "We applaud today's decision by the federal government to provide more than $25 million to the Port of New York and New Jersey to enhance the security of the East Coast's busiest seaport. The Port Authority will receive $11.6 million of these funds, and it will be used to improve security monitoring and access systems at our ports. Since September 11, 2001, the Port Authority has invested more than $87 million of our own resources on port security, and nothing is more important to us than keeping this vital part of our economic supply chain safe and secure." Source: AP