Port security lobby formed to chase federal dollars

Port security lobby formed to chase federal dollars    Four organizations representing different sectors of the U.S. maritime and port industry on Monday announced the formation of a joint lobby group, the Port Security Council of America.
   The goal of the Security Council is to work with Congress and the U.S. administration “to focus on obtaining significantly more federal funding for immediate port security requirements and address the issue on a long term basis,” the group said. It added that the aim is to achieve necessary port security capital requirements that could run $5 billion to $10 billion over the next several years.
   The group’s membership will comprise maritime organizations, nonprofit associations, government entities, and private industry. The founding members of the Security Council are the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA), the Chamber of Shipping of America, the International Council of Cruise Lines and the Waterfront Coalition.
   In its first public statement, the Security Council said it will ask Congress for $400 million in fiscal year 2005 grant funds. It said this is “an amount that appears substantial but still is only a fraction of what is needed.”
   “The purpose of the Security Council is to serve as a vehicle through which port and terminal operators, users, and suppliers address terrorist threats to the nation’s seaports and the maritime transportation system,” the group said in a statement.
   Washington lobbyist Jay Grant will serve as director of the Security Council to coordinate its Capitol Hill activities. Grant has helped obtain millions of dollars of federal port security grants for public port authorities.
   He said current federal funding falls short of addressing the dollars needed. “Many of our nation’s seaports have received only a small percentage of requested grant funding,” he said. “The Coast Guard has estimated the necessary security improvements will cost over $1.125 billion just this year alone.'
   The security group believes it will take billions of dollars to ensure that the country’s commerce and cruise industry are as safe as possible.
   “The Port Security Council will allow the maritime community and private companies to come together in a unified effort to work with Congress and the administration toward our common goals on port security funding,” said Kurt Nagle, AAPA president.