DHS awards ports $388 million for security

DHS awards ports $388 million for security U.S. ports will receive $388 million in security grants this year as part of $844 million in grant awards to states and local jurisdictions for critical infrastructure protection, the Department of Homeland Security announced Friday.
   The port allocation is the largest annual amount in the five-year history of the Port Security Grant Program and is an increase of more than $75 million from last year’s disbursement to qualifying ports. Overall, infrastructure protection grants for ports, transit, passenger rail and other categories was $189 million more than last year’s amount.
   Included in that amount is $5 million for a new freight rail security grant program targeted at railroad operators that transport dangerous materials through high-density population areas. First-year money is intended to help railroads develop vulnerability assessments and security plans, and provide security training to employees.
   The Trucking Security Grant Program provides $15.5 million to a single grantee through a competitive process (in the past the American Trucking Associations) to support the Highway Watch Program, under which truck drivers are recruited and trained to report suspicious activity to a central call center, which would notify the appropriate authorities of any potential terrorist threat. DHS has provided nearly $78 million for this effort since 2003.

Chertoff

   DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff said the latest round of infrastructure protection grants focused on prevention and preparedness activities, and security technology and equipment instead of response and recovery capabilities. Top priorities this year include money to prevent use of improved explosive devices, communications systems, information sharing and analysis and regional security cooperation and exercises.
   As in the last couple of rounds, awards were granted based on risk and the potential effectiveness of an applicant’s plan. Higher standards to prevent waste of taxpayer money meant DHS rejected applications for video surveillance equipment that didn’t include a plan for where cameras would be placed or how they would be monitored or for funds to secure rail cars when the rail cars haven’t been purchased yet, Chertoff said.
   Port security grants were broken down into several categories, with the seven highest-risk port areas receiving $221 million, up 26 percent from last year. A second group of 40 port areas will split $138 million and 16 third-tier port areas will receive $17.3 million. Other port areas will receive $9.9 million and five ferry systems will be awarded more than $2.4 million. Priority projects dealt with maritime domain monitoring capability, support for implementing the Transportation Worker Identification Credential program, improvised explosive devices delivered by underwater swimmers and small vessels, and information sharing, Chertoff said.
   An additional 22 ports received allocations to draft port-wide risk management plans that allow local area maritime security committees to determine their regional needs for the next five years.
   DHS has provided almost $1.5 billion in Port Security Grants since 2003, although the national association representing ports has complained that the Bush administration and Republicans in Congress underfunded a program that it believes requires $400 million per year to meet port needs. Congressional Democrats were able to increase the appropriation for fiscal 2008 to $400 million after President Bush proposed $210 million for the program, the same amount he has proposed in his fiscal 2009 budget.
   Major port security awards included:
   ' New York-New Jersey, $45 million (up from $42 million last year).
   ' Los Angeles-Long Beach, $38 million (from $23.3 million last year).
   ' Houston-Galveston, $32 million (from $23 million).
   ' New Orleans, $30 million (from $22 million).
   ' Seattle-Tacoma, $27 million (from $24 million).
   ' San Francisco Bay Area, $26.7 million (from $20.2 million).
   ' Delaware Bay, $20 million (from $19.5 million).
   Chertoff applauded the collaborative efforts of ports to collaborate on regional security planning and pool their grant awards, citing the Los Angeles-Long Beach port authorities’ effort to build a shared intelligence fusion center and develop post-incident recovery response plans as an example.
   To see the port security grants for individual ports, go to www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/fy2008_infrastructure_protection_activities.pdf.