Maritime and Ports

Savi Technology to manage Virginia's cargo tracking services
Company’s SaviTrak RFID technology a growing favorite among port authorities worldwide; open technology platform can process barcodes and EPC-compliant passive and DPS systems
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SAIC announces roll-out of new port radiation detector
News comes at same time Congress demands widespread adoption of such technology; VACIS P 7500 ideal for ports and other infrastructure with limited space; system requires a lane only twenty-seven feet wide
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California ports shortchanged in latest round of port security funding
Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles face a drastic cut, while Oakland and San Francisco are frozen out alltogether; state officials react angrily and question DHS’s allocation process; California sees a history of ill-treatment on security spending issues
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DHS to increase four-fold security funding for New York, New Jersey ports
DHS’s decision three months ago to cut funding to New York City antiterror programs by 40 percent was welcomed by an equal measure of disbelief and outrage (especially when the department explained that its review process found no national monuments or icons in the city); the department will announce today that it is increasing four-fold its support for security programs at the ports of New York and New Jersey
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CBP downgrades importance of container seals; shipping industry relieved
There are two ways to make sure that a freight container arriving at a U.S. port does not contain a nuclear bomb or other destructive cargo: Tamper-seal the container after cargo has been loaded and validated, or scan the contents of the cargo when it arrives at port to see what it contains; DHS has decided to put the cargo-seal rule making on the back burner, for now
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ObjectVideo deploys video analytic software to Port of Texas City
Deal follows on successes with Madrid, Spain and HSARPA, among others; software is able to detect violations of predetermined behavioral rules, allowing fewer employees to cover more ground; video analytics a new but growing field; stronger algorithms will take the industry into the future
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Senate passes port inspection deal; no 100% inspection
The beefed-up port security measure places heavy emphasis on radiation detection at U.S. ports, but Republicans fought off Democrats’ demand to include a mandatory 100% inspection of all U.S.-bound cargo containers; bill also increases funding for rail and land transportation security
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Lobbyists resist homeland security measures recommended by 9/11 Commission
Farmers fight off ammonium nitrate controls; television station opposes handing over frequency for emergency services; retailers stick to their guns on radiological screening of containers
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DHS unveils finalists in $1.35 billion nuclear screening contract
DHS has placed three of the usual suspects on the short-list of a $1.35 billion CAARS program to screen for nuclear materials at U.S. seaports and land crossings; the CAARS contracts comes on the heels of $1.16 billion worth of ASP contracts to detect and identify unshielded or lightly shielded nuclear materials
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WiFi Wireless to begin selling WFSCT cargo security system
Wireless protocol overcomes security concerns; system offers real-time tracking, temperature monitoring, tamper and explosives detection
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L-3 Communications wins Phase II funding for security container
Company’s Advanced Conatiner Security Device relies on sensors to detect breaches, human cargo; thirty prototypes to be tested
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DHS announces delay in TWIC implementation for maritime and port workers
Problem caused by compliance with FIPS 201 standard; required card-swipe readers vulnerable to saltwater corrosion; delay to last at least six months
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The consequences of one nuclear bomb smuggled into a port in a container
A RAND study says that a 10-kiloton nuclear explosion at the Port of Long Beach could kill 60,000 people instantly, expose 150,000 more to hazardous radiation, and cause ten times more economic loss than the 9/11 terrorist attacks
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Port of Freeport to join CSI
The Port of Freeport gained fame earlier this year when the Bush administration was about to sign an agreement with Hutchison Whampoa to conduct nuclear radiation screening of U.S.-bound cargo - without the presence of U.S. personnel; the post has now joined the CSI program
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Jurisdictional squabbles, looming mid-term elections, scuttle port security measures
Disagreements over jurisdiction and the coming November elections threaten to derail port security legislation; of special interest: The 100 percent container inspection clause passed by an overwhelming vote (421-2) in the House – but it is the only clause in the port safety legislation which is adamantly opposed by every part and every component of the shipping industry
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