6 June 2002
Source: http://usinfo.state.gov/cgi-bin/washfile/display.pl?p=/products/washfile/latest&f=02060505.clt&t=/products/washfile/newsitem.shtml


US Department of State
International Information Programs

Washington File
_________________________________

05 June 2002

House Passes Legislation to Boost Port Security

(Bill would require international cooperation) (800)
By Andrzej Zwaniecki
Washington File Staff Writer

Washington -- The House of Representatives has passed a bill that
would extend the U.S. seaport security perimeter beyond U.S. borders
and bring maritime antiterrorism measures up to the level of security
introduced in U.S. civil aviation after the September 11 terrorist
attacks.

The Maritime Transportation Antiterrorism Act, approved June 4 by
voice vote, would require the Transportation Department to conduct
security assessment of ports in other countries and give the U.S.
Coast Guard right to deny entry to any ship that does not meet
security standards or arrives from a port lacking adequate
antiterrorism procedures.

Under the measure, ocean carriers or shippers would have to provide
detailed information on cargo destined for the United States,
including the content and place of origin, at least 24 hours before
loading at a foreign port.

The administration has been working with several countries to allow
U.S. customs agents to inspect container cargo in the 10 busiest ports
where the bulk of U.S.-bound cargo originates. The U.S. Customs
Service announced June 4 that Singapore joined three Canadian ports
that signed on to the initiative earlier.

After the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, some
congressmen expressed concerns that ships loaded with inflammable
liquids could be turned by terrorists into weapons of mass destruction
the way commercial airliners were used to destroy the World Trade
Center and damage the Pentagon. Some nuclear plants and refineries are
located close to ports or waterways.

"A port is a likely target, and we have to accept that fact," said
Representative Don Young, Republican chairman of the House
Transportation Committee.

The legislation derives from antiterrorism provisions of the aviation
security act passed by Congress in November and from procedures used
by airlines even before September 11. It would aim to give U.S border
agencies more information, time and authority to prevent terrorists
from attacking the maritime transportation system or using it to
inflict damage on U.S. cities or businesses.

It would require all vessels coming from other countries to notify the
U.S. Coast Guard at least 96 hours before entering U.S. territorial
waters and extend Guard jurisdiction from three to 12 miles off the
U.S. coasts. It also would require ships to send electronically a
detailed crew and passenger manifest. Both domestic and foreign
airlines are now required to provide similar information to U.S.
border agencies.

The legislation would provide a legal basis for the existing "sea
marshals" program fashioned after "air marshals," armed security
agents that anonymously fly on some domestic and all international
flights. Members of sea marshal units created by the Coast Guard after
September 11 board U.S.-bound ships just before they enter U.S. ports
to protect vessels and ports from terrorist acts.

The bill would require by 2005 all ships operating in U.S. waters to
be equipped with electronic transponders that identify them and
provide information about their location. Similar devices are part of
standard equipment on airplanes.

Another provision would restrict access to secure port areas to port
employees, shipping crews and truck drivers carrying a security card
to be developed by the Transportation Department.

In one instance, the House bill would go even beyond what Congress has
envisioned for air transportation by authorizing the Coast Guard to
establish antiterrorism teams that could quickly respond to threats
against ships, ports and cargo in U.S. waters.

But in contrast to aviation where the main concern is passenger
traffic, the bulk of what moves through U.S. ports is cargo, most of
it in shipping containers. Because U.S. Customs agents inspect less
than 2 percent of these containers, Congress and the administration
fear that cargo containers can be used to smuggle in terrorists or
weapons of mass destruction.

Thus the bill would require the Transportation Department to develop
an identification and screening system for containerized cargo. It
would also obligate the department to improve the physical security of
shipping containers, including a system to detect any tampering or
breaking of the seal.

The Transportation Department, which has already started working on
such systems, announced June 4 that it had successfully tested a
so-called "smart seal," a radio frequency device that indicates if a
container has been tampered with.

The House bill will have to be reconciled with a similar bill passed
by the Senate in December. The Senate measure would authorize $1,100
million over five years for security improvements at the 50 strategic
seaports and the hiring of additional Customs inspectors, and $3,300
million in loan guarantees for local port security upgrades. The House
bill would provide for $225 million in grants over three years to
enhance port security.

(The Washington File is a product of the Office of International
Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site:
http://usinfo.state.gov)