DHS Awards Ports for Cargo Security Program

Sea Technology, May 2005

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently announced a $17.1 million award to the Port Authority of New York/New Jersey and to the ports of Los Angeles/Long Beach in California and Seattle/Tacoma in Washington to strengthen the security of container cargo moving through the nation's load centers.

These grants were awarded under the third phase of Operation Safe Commerce, a program through which ports, federal, state and local governments, and private businesses work to identify, test and share information about available technologies and business practices to improve the security of the supply chain.

"Operation Safe Commerce takes a partnership approach to developing innovative new ways for ports to track and protect cargo entering the United States from all over the world," said Matt A. Mayer, acting executive director of the Office of State and Local Government Coordination and Preparedness.

The awards announced are: $6.7 million to the Ports of Los Angeles/Long Beach, $5.2 million to the Ports of Seattle/Tacoma and $5.2 million to the Port Authority of New York/New Jersey.

Prior to these new awards, the three load centers have received a total of $55 million under Operation Safe Commerce, including a total of $13.7 million for Los Angeles/Long Beach, $27.5 million for Seattle/Tacoma and $13.8 million for New York/New Jersey.

Operation Safe Commerce is administered by the DHS's Office of State and Local Government Coordination and Preparedness in cooperation with an inter-agency steering committee that works to ensure that grant funds are properly used to address priority vulnerabilities and support the results of testing conducted during the different phases of the program.