FEMA unveils FY 2017 Port Security Grant Program recipients

The FY 2017 Port Security Grant Program was funded at $100 million, and over 33 ports were awarded direct grants, the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) said.    The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) on Friday announced the recipients of the FY 2017 Port Security Grant Program (PSGP).
   PSGP funding helps “protect critical port infrastructure from terrorism, enhance maritime domain awareness, improve port-wide maritime security risk management, and maintain or reestablish maritime security mitigation protocols that support port recovery and resiliency capabilities,” according to DHS.
   The program was funded at $100 million, and over 33 ports were awarded direct grants, the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) said.
   “The House FY 2018 DHS Appropriations bill includes $100 million for PSGP, and the Senate is expected to mark up its version of a DHS appropriations bill this month,” the AAPA said.
   Back in June, AAPA President and CEO Kurt Nagle and National Association of Waterfront Employers Executive Director John Crowley sent a letter to several members of Congress regarding the FY 2018 Funding and Reauthorization of DHS programs, and expressed strong support for PSGP funding.
   The letter was addressed to Rep. John Carter, R-Texas; Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis.; Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas; Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont.; Rep Lucille Roybal-Allard, D-Calif.; Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo.; and Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss.
   In the letter, Nagle and Crowley noted how the Administration’s FY 2018 budget proposal to cut port security grants by 52 percent to $48 million was a huge cause for concern and their recommendation called for full funding of the PSGP. “At a minimum, we recommend level funding for this program at $100 million, although this level is 75 percent lower than the $400 million called for in authorization legislation,” they said.
   The PSGP “is a vital tool and funding source for ongoing security improvements for our nation’s gateways and the supply chain,” they said. “Since 9/11, the PSGP has been an important component in helping seaports harden security and protect these vital transportation hubs and maritime borders. These resources assist in fulfilling the DHS mission and have been instrumental in enabling ports and terminal operators to fill the security gaps that are not always addressed by CBP and others.”