Senate oversight hearing focuses on transportation security

Senate oversight hearing focuses on transportation security    Bush administration officials summarized a broad range of activities the federal government has undertaken since the terrorist attacks two years ago and told a Senate panel the country is much safer today because of those efforts.
   Robert Bonner, commissioner of the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection, said in testimony before the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee that his agency has been able to increase the number of incoming freight containers inspected at the border due to better targeting and technology.
   Two years ago, inspectors physically inspected only 9 percent of inbound rail cars, 2 percent of inbound sea containers and 10.3 percent of trucks. Today inspection levels have increased to 22.6 percent of rail cars, 5.2 percent of sea containers and 15.1 percent of trucks, Bonner said.
   He said access to advance shipping information, such as provided through the 24-hour maritime filing rule, have made inspections more effective, while the increase of x-ray machines capable of scanning containers and trucks has risen from 45 on Sept. 11, 2001 to 135 deployed today.
   Some testimony focused on the costs of maritime security and Coast Guard Commandant Thomas Collins estimated the cost to private industry to implement the provisions of the Maritime Transportation Security Act (MTSA) will be $1.5 billion during the first year and $7.3 billion over the next 10 years.
   MTSA requires ports and the private sector to conduct vulnerability assessments, develop plans, structure training exercises and invest in security infrastructure to correct identified problems.
   Sen. Ernest Hollings continued to pound the administration for setting lofty homeland security priorities and then failing to adequately fund those efforts.
   'The dramatic underfunding of key transportation security initiatives is creating disasters just waiting to happen all across the country,' he said.
   Hollings praised Collins, Bonner and Transportation Security Administration head James Loy for their work so far, but added they cannot do the full job without proper funding.
   'You cannot take the aggressive steps needed for cargo security, for research on new explosive detection systems, and for training Federal Air Marshals without the money,' Hollings said.