DHS & DOE Announce
Phase One of the Secure Freight Initiative
for Foreign Seaports
The Departments of Homeland Security (DHS) and Energy (DOE) have
announced the first of three phases of the Secure Freight Initiative (SFI), an
effort to build upon existing port security measures by enhancing the federal
government’s ability to scan containers for nuclear and radiological materials
overseas and to better assess the risk of inbound containers. (See ITT's Online Archives or 06/23/06 news,
(Ref: 06062305), for BP summary of SFI's three phases.)
Under Phase One of SFI, the U.S. has reached agreement to place
radiation portal monitors, radiography machines- which are basically big x-ray
machines, and optical character readers in an initial set of six foreign ports.
The pilot for SFI, which Congress mandated as part of the Security and
Accountability for Every Port Act (SAFE Port Act), will commence in early 2007.
(See ITT's Online Archives or 10/05/06
news, (Ref: 06100510), for BP summary of the conference version of the SAFE
Port Act, which discusses, among other things, the requirement of an integrated
scanning system pilot at three foreign seaports.)
Under SFI, Containers Will Go
Through a Radiation Detection Monitor, Etc.
DHS Secretary Chertoff states that under Phase One of SFI, the U.S. is
going to build an automated system, and as part of that system, a container
will enter into a lane of traffic. The container will have its unique number
scanned into a computer and will go through a radiation detection monitor that
will detect any emanations, radioactive emanations, from the container. It will
then move through what is, in effect, a giant x-ray machine, which will look to
see if there is any shielding or any anomaly in the container that is visible
from scanning from outside. All of this will be integrated together to give the
operator, a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) official, a picture of whether
there is a threat inside this container.
Chertoff adds that, by having it automated, CBP can guarantee that 100%
of the containers that run through that system will, in fact, be scanned for
precisely the kind of material that the U.S. worries about (i.e. nuclear
weapons and "dirty bombs").
SFI Will Begin with Three
Seaports in Pakistan, Honduras, & UK in Early 2007
SFI will begin with the following ports: Port Qasim in Pakistan, Puerto
Cortes in Honduras, and Southampton in the United Kingdom (UK). Chertoff states
that, with respect to all the containers coming to the U.S. from these
countries, an integrated suite of detection equipment, x-ray equipment and
optical scanners will scan 100% of the containers that are destined to come to
the U.S. Chertoff notes that this will fulfill the requirements set out by
Congress in the SAFE Port Act to scan 100% of cargo in three foreign ports.
According to Chertoff, the first two ports that are going to go
operational will be in Pakistan and in Honduras. Those are scheduled to go
operational in February of 2007. As for Southampton, SFI will become
operational in June or July of 2007.
DHS Also Placing Detection
Equipment at Three Additional Seaports in Oman, Singapore, & Korea
Chertoff states that the DHS is going to go beyond its minimum
requirement and place its integrated suite of equipment at the port of Salalah
in Oman, the Port of Singapore in Singapore, and the Gamman Terminal in Port
Busan in Korea to scan a smaller proportion of containers heading to the U.S.
These ports are scheduled to become operational during the course of 2007.
U.S. Will Continue to Work
With Port of Hong Kong to Follow Their Pilot Program
Chertoff adds that the U.S. is going to continue to work with the
terminal operator in the Port of Hong Kong to follow their pilot program with
respect to a similar system (Integrated Container Inspection System (ICIS)) and
to refine that program to see how the U.S. can continue to advance along this
pathway of doing integrated screening and scanning overseas. (See ITT's Online Archives or 05/15/06 news,
(Ref: 06051505), for BP summary of the House-passed SAFE Port Act, which
covers, among other things, Hong Kong's ICIS.)
Over 7% of All U.S. Bound
Shipments Will Be Scanned at Six Seaports
Chertoff states that, collectively, through these six ports that the
U.S. is now beginning this Secure Freight operation in, over 7% of all
U.S.-bound shipments will be scanned overseas before they even come to the U.S.
Chertoff notes that DHS is still on target to hit its 100% or virtual 100% goal
in the U.S. by the end of next year.
Chertoff Explains SFI System
According to Chertoff, the way the systems works is this: The sensor and
image data collected by the equipment, the x-ray machines and the radioactive
detection equipment, is going to be transmitted in virtual real-time to CBP
inspectors located, in many instances, at the foreign port itself, and in every
instance, at CBP's National Targeting Center (NTC) in the U.S. This data will
be fused and analyzed under the supervision of CBP officials so that it can
assess whether there is anything in the container that is a threat, and, if so,
identify that container as one that should be pulled out of the line and
inspected more closely to resolve the question.
If the scanning systems indicate that there is a concern, the specific
container, which CBP will have identified through the optical scanner, will be
pulled from the line, and CBP will make sure an inspection is conducted before
that container continues its travel to the U.S.
Chertoff adds that the U.S. will not outsource its security. Therefore,
it is pivotal to this system that for every container, the determination about
what is inspected and the decision that a particular question has been resolved
will be made 100% by CBP officials, either on the scene locally or at the NTC.
The actual inspection itself, the physical inspection that takes place,
will have to be operated by the local police authorities who have the legal
authority to do the inspection. However, Chertoff notes that CBP will make
sure, either with people on the scene, or in many cases, with streaming video
that allows CBP to actually see the inspection, that CBP officials are
satisfied about the security of any container before that container is allowed
to continue on course to the U.S.
Chertoff stresses that if CBP is not satisfied that its security
concerns have been met overseas, it will not allow that particular container to
be loaded on a ship or to come into the U.S.
(See ITT's Online Archives or
12/11/06 news, (Ref: 06121199) #2, for previous summary on DHS & DOE
announcing the first phase of SFI.)
DHS press release, including
Chertoff's remarks on SFI (dated 12/07/06) available at http://www.dhs.gov/xnews/releases/pr_1165579835993.shtm
DHS press release announcing
the launch of SFI (dated 12/07/06) available at http://www.dhs.gov/xnews/releases/pr_1165520867989.shtm
Published in ITT on December 20, 2006 | [Ref: 06122010] |
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