Washington Senator Seeks to Increase Port Security

Washington Sen. Patty Murray is working to plug a hole in the nation's terrorism defenses that is very close to home, according to a Seattle Times report. Imported raw products and finished goods are vital to the U.S. economy, but they arrive in containers that could be filled with people and material meant to do the nation harm. Murray has teamed with Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, to propose the GreenLane Maritime Cargo Security Act. The legislation directs the secretary of Homeland Security to initiate specific projects, and, in several cases, finish or refine work already under way: uniform data collection and sharing; container security standards; radiation detection and safety. The legislation could take up to three years to pass, according to the report, and requires the cooperation of foreign nations and ports, shippers, and manufacturers. One portion of the legislation looks at getting trade and shipping back on their feet after a terrorist act. The global tide of trade cannot slow down to open and inspect every container, and every port cannot grind to a halt in the event of a container-based attack. Source: The Seattle Times