U.S. port officials concerned over $179-million security grants

U.S. port officials concerned over $179-million security grants    U.S. port officials on Wednesday night reacted negatively to the U.S. Transportation Security Administration’s    announcement of $179 million in federal port security grants, saying that the grants cover only a fraction of costs required by ports to comply with security regulations..
   The American Association of Port Authorities said applications totaling over $987 million had been submitted by ports across the country seeking funding assistance to comply with new U.S. Coast Guard security regulations that take effect next year.
   While welcoming the grants, AAPA president Kurt Nagle noted that latest round of funding “covers only about 18 percent of the costs ports identified in the security projects set forth in their recent applications.”
   “Public ports’ financial resources pale in comparison to the enormous needs, yet America cannot afford for port security to go underfunded,” he added. Nagle said federal assistance is key to ensuring ports can address enhanced security demands.
   The third round of grants for port security are a combination of $104 million in fiscal year 2002 funds and a portion of the $125 million in fiscal year 2004 appropriations for port security.
   The latest round of grants has been awarded to 442 projects in 326 locations to 235 applicant organizations from across the nation.
   U.S. ports had applied for federal grants to fund 1,065 security enhancement measures, of which less than half will receive federal funding.
   Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge said the awards will contribute to important security upgrades like new patrol boats in the harbor, surveillance equipment and the construction of new command and control facilities.
   “These projects are critical to the mission of securing our ports,” Ridge said.
   The Transportation Security Administration, the U.S. Coast Guard and the Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration evaluated the port security grant applications and selected the grant award recipients.
   In addition to the awards totaling $179 million, the Department of Homeland Security also awarded $170 million from the fiscal year 2003 budget from the Port Security Grant Program in June and $75 million in port security grants for specific projects from the fiscal year 2003 supplemental budget from the Office for Domestic Preparedness in May.
   “However, substantially greater resources are needed,” the American Association of Port Authorities said on Wednesday. For fiscal year 2005, AAPA is asking for a federal funding level of $400 million for TSA’s port security grant program — more than twice the latest funding round.
   Ports are facing “security expenses of unprecedented magnitude,” the port association said.
   Nagle said ports have already spent hundreds of millions of dollars to boost security since Sept. 11, and expenses continue to rise.
   The U.S. Coast Guard estimates that ports will need to spend $5.4 billion on enhanced security measures over the next 10 years to comply with new federal regulations mandated by the Maritime Transportation Security Act, with $1.125 billion of that to be invested in the first year alone.
   The AAPA figures suggest that U.S. ports are facing a financial crunch as, besides security investments, they also need to spend about $1.7 billion a year on operations and another $1.5 billion annually on capital improvements to support burgeoning trade growth.
   “International trade has been growing steadily each year, with strong benefits to the American economy,” said Nagle. “But that can only continue if ports are prepared to handle it — and that means investing now in both the immediate and long-range future. In terms of security, both physical and economic security are paramount to the country’s well-being.”
   Several ports and state governors welcomed the federal grants.
   Georgia governor Sonny Perdue thanked the Bush administration and Secretary of Homeland Security Ridge for awarding $1.695 million in security grants to the Georgia Ports Authority. Of this amount, $1.4 million will be spent on an access control security management system at the ports of Savannah and Brunswick.
   Port security grants totaling $2.8 million were awarded to the South Carolina State Ports Authority. The port authority said the grants are for video surveillance upgrades at the port of Charleston’s three container terminals, lighting enhancements and access control at the Wando Welch terminal.
   The port of Seattle received a $2 million port security grant. The grant will provide funding to establish a maritime emergency response plan for the Puget Sound region.