DOT Awards $92.3 Million For Port Security

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta announced the award of $92.3 million in grants to 51 intermodal ports to enhance security.

Port security grants totaling $78 million will fund enhanced facility and operational security. In addition, $5 million is provided for security assessments that will enable port and terminals to evaluate vulnerabilities and identify mitigation strategies for their facilities, and $9.3 million will fund "proof-of-concept" projects, which will explore the use of new technology, such as electronic seals, vessel tracking, and electronic notification of vessel arrivals, to improve maritime security.
Congress provided funding for the grant program to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), which is responsible for security in all modes of transportation.
While the announcement did not specifically address how the security grants would affect the truckers hauling in and out of the ports, background checks and special IDs for port drivers have been proposed at many ports in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.