AAPA CALLS FOR MORE PORT SECURITY FUNDING

AAPA CALLS FOR MORE PORT SECURITY FUNDING    A port association leader said on Tuesday in Washington that the nation needs to forge a sufficiently funded security partnership between industry and government to keep its seaports safe from terrorist activity.
   Michael Leone, port director of the Massachusetts Port Authority, and a member of the Executive Committee of the American Association of Port Authorities, said that Congress should pass legislation that provides adequate funding to help all ports nationwide implement adequate security measures at their ports. He said that House passage of the House Maritime Transportation Anti-Terrorism Act is a good start, but additional funding beyond the $225 million over three fiscal years through the bill is necessary for port security. The bill is scheduled for a floor vote in the House next week.
      Leone added that in an AAPA report, 58 port authorities have reported spending over $49 million for security enhancements at their ports, whether the expenditures went toward infrastructure or personnel expenses.
   “Funding ports is critical,” Leone said, addressing a luncheon hosted by AAPA. “The risks warrant action now.”
   Leone urged additional funding for the U.S. Coast Guard, which has been on the front lines of port security since Sept. 11, and the U.S. Customs Service. The Coast Guard cannot continue holding such prominence in port security with the funds it has, and it needs more support from other government agencies, like the Department of Transportation and the Transportation Security Administration.
   He added that, while the U.S. Government was quick to pass legislation for aviation security, seaport security would require more development and time than the aviation sector, since seaports often are set in the center, or near, major metropolitan areas. Because of that, each port will have its own needs, and they should be allowed their own security assessments, with involvement from local authorities. “It’s much more complicated than an airport,” Leone said of security infrastructure at seaports. “At least at an airport, you have a geographic boundary. Local flexibility and planning are key.”
   AAPA emphasized in a recent position paper that “because of their diversity in size and types of cargo, security for individual public ports should be coordinated at the local level.”'