U.S. Coast Guard issues final rule on TWIC readers

Marine terminals deemed high risk have two years to install an automated system for inspecting workers and others before allowing entry onto the premises.

   Marine terminals deemed high risk have two years to install electronic machines that can read Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) cards used by longshoremen, truckers, port employees and others for authorized, unescorted access to secure areas, under a final rule issued Tuesday by the U.S. Coast Guard.

   The rule has been more than a decade in the making, with the requirement for TWIC readers postponed several times due to technical challenges with the technology. Under the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002, the Coast Guard and Transportation Security Administration in 2006 began a process of conducting background checks on port workers and those conducting legitimate business at port facilities, as well as commercial truck drivers that haul hazardous material, and issuing credentials to those that passed the screening. Marine facilities are required to authenticate the document at the access point. The requirement for automated card readers was removed from the 2007 final rule in favor of conducting a pilot program to test the various technologies in the harsh marine environment. The TWIC reader requirements have gone through several regulatory reviews since 2009. The TWIC card is currently being used as a visual identity badge on many vessels and facilities. Security guards examine the hologram and watermark embedded on the surface of the credential, check the expiration date and compare the photograph to the person presenting the credential. The automated system is designed to make use of the biometric features of the card by comparing the entrants fingerprint with the template stored on the TWIC card, and verifying that the person has an up-to-date credential. This eliminates the risk of unauthorized people gaining access to a facility because of forged credentials, photo recognition mistakes or disqualifying offenses that security officers would not be aware of. The final rule provides more flexibility with regard to the purchase, installation and use of electronic readers than the proposed rule so that new systems can be integrated into existing security and access control systems. “We believe that this flexibility will provide robust security without causing unnecessary costs or significantly disrupting business operations,” the Coast Guard said. The requirement for electronic readers only applies to 525 facilities in the highest-risk category, as defined by the Coast Guard.

   Overall, the Coast Guard estimated the rule will cost the industry about $22.5 million per year to implement, or $158 million over 10 years.