Sen. Feinstein seeks more money to secure nation's largest port

Thursday December 19, 2002

By NADA EL SAWY
Associated Press Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) Calling seaports the ``soft underbelly'' for potential terrorist infiltration, U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein said she's seeking more funding to improve security at the nation's largest port complex.

Feinstein, D-Calif., met Wednesday with Los Angeles Mayor James Hahn and representatives of federal law enforcement at the Los Angeles/Long Beach port complex to call for more funding for security measures.

``Our ports ... really are the ports of the United States,'' Hahn said. ``(We're) fighting for California to get its fair share of federal funds.''

The two Southern California ports receive about 4.5 million cargo containers each year, about 43 percent of the nation's container cargo traffic. Since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the complex received only $6.7 million out of the $73 million in recent federal funding allocated for U.S. seaports.

Feinsten said there have been concerns that U.S. ports are susceptible to terrorist infiltration, including weapons threats.

Only about two percent of the 18 million shipping containers that enter U.S. ports each year are inspected. Six million of the containers come from overseas.

Studies showed damage from an attack on the nation's ports could be immense. A recent drill on port security exposed communications problems among government agencies and revealed that if ports are closed because of terrorist activity, it could cost the U.S. economy around $58 billion.

The vulnerabilities of the Port of Long Beach were outlined in an 84-page grant request submitted to the federal government in March. Problems included: a shortage of police patrols and surveillance cameras; hazardous chemicals stored above ground and no system for providing evacuation information.

Feinstein said she plans to introduce legislation to Congress in January that would revamp the way seaports are protected.

Among the proposals: require the stationing of customs agents at foreign ports; establish a comprehensive plan for profiling high-risk containers; mandate that radiation detection pagers be issued to each inspector and require shippers bound for U.S. ports transmit their itemized cargo lists at least 24 hours before departing from a foreign port.

So far, authorities have taken some measures to enhance security at seaports.

Los Angeles ports signed an agreement with Hong Kong's Modern Terminals port last month to secure cargo containers from the point of origin almost to the point of final destination.

President Bush signed a bill last month requiring the nation's 361 seaports to develop security plans. The law also creates a sea marshal program, marine anti-terrorism teams and new standards to make container seals tamper proof.

This month, Congress approved $125 million in port security grants, but federal transportation officials are still deciding how and where to distribute the money.

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On the Net:

Port of Los Angeles: http://www.portoflosangeles.org

(Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)