LAWMAKERS INITIATE SMART AND SECURE TRADELANES ON U.S. EAST COAST

LAWMAKERS INITIATE SMART AND SECURE TRADELANES ON U.S. EAST COAST    Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., and Rep. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., were joined by a council of security technology representatives on Friday to start the Smart and Secure Tradelanes Initiative at points on major Atlantic trade lanes stopping at the ports of New York-New Jersey.
   SST, initiated this summer, is a voluntary program designed to minimize terrorism risks by securing and monitoring containers before they are loaded on U.S.-bound vessels. The SST network transmits shipment identification, location, route and security information across the supply chain from manufacturer to final destination in the United States.
   Although SST was initially driven by industry, it is closely coordinated with the U.S. Customs Container Security Initiative, the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism, and another maritime security initiative,'Operation Safe Commerce.'
   Friday’s announcement was made at the Port Newark Container Terminal in New Jersey, operated by P&O Ports. On hand were Rick Larrabee, director of Commerce for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Joseph Assante, president of the Port Newark Container Terminal, and Vikram Verma, president and chief executive officer of Savi Technology.
   “SST will help protect this supply chain and is a major first step in protecting our homeland from a nuclear, biological or conventional weapon from reaching our shores,” Schumer said.
   Friday’s events marked the first installation of the SST infrastructure at sea ports on the Atlantic coast, which eventually will be linked with European seaports shipping cargo containers into the United States.