Industry group convenes to develop TWIC standards

Industry group convenes to develop TWIC standards    A working group of industry representatives is meeting today in Washington at the request of the Department of Homeland Security to develop technical standards for a standardized biometric identification card and readers to control worker access at ports and other marine facilities, according industry and government officials.
   The working group is the latest effort to roll out a Transportation Worker Identification Credential more than four years after Congress mandated a universal, tamper-proof identification card embedded with biometric identification such as fingerprints that can be used interchangeably at all ports.
   The committee is divided into two subgroups, one comprising maritime professionals who will develop operating requirements for the TWIC card, and the other with representatives from the technology and security sectors who will put together the technical requirements to meet operational needs. The working group is co-chaired by Lisa Himber, vice president of the Maritime Exchange for the Delaware River and Bay, and Basil Maher, president and chief operating officer of Maher Terminals in Port Elizabeth, N.J.
   The Coast Guard and the Transportation Security Administration, which are responsible for implementing the TWIC program, asked the National Maritime Security Advisory Committee (NMSAC) at its quarterly meeting Nov. 14 to set up a working group to help overcome technical challenges.
   Himber said DHS’s guidelines to the working group are to develop a card that:
   * Doesn’t require proprietary technology.
   * Incorporates privacy controls.
   * Is interoperable with new standards for government-issued ID cards for federal employees and contractors to access federal facilities.
   * Is capable of incorporating future undefined capabilities.
   * Can support maritime operations.
   * Is suitable for mass production.
   The maritime industry is strongly pushing DHS to adopt a contact-less card, essentially a proximity card with a computer chip and a tiny transmitter that can be electronically read at facility gates rather than being swiped through a reader. Contact readers, often used in office environments, are more susceptible to salt, snow and ice damage, vandalism, and tampering, and can wear down more quickly with frequent use. Contact cards would also slow down processing of individuals, an important consideration in ports where throughput of work gangs and truck drivers is essential to keep cargo flowing without backups, Himber said.
   The cards will also include a photo of the card holder.
   Industry is vigorously opposing TSA’s proposal to also require the use of a personal identification number to access facilities. During initial pilot testing last year, workers created a pin number, which was used to activate their card when they picked it up. Himber said that extending the requirement to enter a PIN to access a facility would greatly slow down the process of moving workers and cargo through the gates without delays.
   Earlier this year the agencies published a proposed rule to implement TWIC, but in August decided to split the project into two phases, recognizing that the card technology had not been adequately developed. Under the new process, the agencies plan to issue a rulemaking by the end of the year or early 2007 requiring longshoremen, seafarers, truck drivers and others who regularly conduct business on the waterfront to enroll in the program so the government can conduct background checks, collect fingerprints and issue ID cards. The cards for unescorted access to secure port areas will be issued to roughly 850,000 workers during a period of 18 months. A subsequent rule will be issued covering the installation and usage of TWIC readers on vessels and facilities.
   According to the SAFE Port Act enacted in October, DHS must conduct a pilot program to test the business processes, technology and operational impact of deploying an access control system in the maritime environment. But Congress also set very tight deadlines for starting the program, mandating that DHS begin checking biometric identification at the 10 top risk ports by July 1, and the next 40 priority ports by the beginning of 2008.
   The problem with issuing cards concurrently with development of the reader technology is that “the possibility exists that people who got cards will have to get new cards,” Himber said.
   The Transportation Security Administration has said the biometric ID cards will cost most workers $149. For workers that have already undergone background checks for other credentials, such as hazardous material endorsements on commercial drivers licenses, the cards would cost about $95. The agency has said that if the technology changes TWIC cardholders would not have to pay a second time, presumably leaving the government on the hook.
   In essence the high-tech biometric card “will be a $150 flash pass” until the system to read the cards is deployed, Himber said.
   During the pilot program, the Coast Guard will randomly check facilities using handheld readers to make sure people have valid TWIC cards.
   The NMSAC working group has until Feb. 28 to submit its recommendations to DHS, with a pilot test scheduled to commence in early April, committee members said. The ports of New York-New Jersey and Los Angeles-Long Beach will participate in the test program, Himber said.