Calif. congresswoman proposes voluntary seal program for empties

Calif. congresswoman proposes voluntary seal program for empties    Rep. Juanita Millender-McDonald, D-Calif., Tuesday introduced a bill, The Secure Domestic Container Partnership Act of 2005, directing the Department of Homeland Security to create a voluntary pilot program that encourages shipping handlers to seal empty shipping containers after unpacking them.
   Millender-McDonald, whose district includes the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, suggested in floor comments that the program be administered by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, possibly as a part of the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism.
   Under the bill, DHS could authorize a shipper, cargo carrier, freight forwarder, terminal operator, port authority or labor organization to secure an empty container with a DHS-approved seal.