New coalition aims to improve port security
Sep 23, 2004 11:49 AM, from staff and wire reports
Shippers, vessel operators, port associations, terminal operators, and other stakeholders that handle eight million cargo containers entering the United States annually are combining as the Coalition for Secure Ports to advocate enhanced maritime security.
This coalition will initiate a campaign to educate policymakers and the public on steps that have been taken to improve port and cargo chain security since 9/11. It also will identify actions the government, in cooperation with private sector stakeholders, can take to further improve security of the nation’s marine transportation system.
The group will focus its efforts on three steps necessary to achieve its goal of strengthening port security:
•Requiring enhanced cargo information; for example, knowing each cargo container’s contents before it enters the United States.
•Monitoring location and security of containers in transit.
•Implementing a Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) to ensure that the identity of individuals with access to cargo can be verified reliably and expediently.
