WASHINGTON — Now that Congress has enacted laws to secure the nation's air travel system from terrorists, the House approved legislation Tuesday designed to protect Americans from attack at the nation's 361 ports.
But protecting the waterfront from terrorists could prove far more complicated than safeguarding the skies.
For The Record
Los Angeles Times Tuesday June 11, 2002 Home Edition Main News Part A Page 2 National Desk 5 inches; 211 words Type of Material: Correction
Port security--A caption accompanying a photograph of the Los Angeles-Long Beach port in Section A on Wednesday referred to a Coast Guard patrol boat that had been cropped out of the picture.
While the air travel system has received far more attention, security experts worry about the vulnerability of ports to an attack that could cripple the U.S. economy. Of special concern are the thousands of cargo containers arriving every day that could be used to sneak terrorists or dangerous weapons into the country.
The House bill would authorize U.S. security sweeps of foreign ports, expand the Coast Guard's authority to direct ships and provide $225 million in security grants to U.S. ports. Some of that is expected to go to the Los Angeles-Long Beach port complex, the nation's busiest with more than 1 million passengers, 5,500 commercial vessels and $170 billion in commerce annually.
The bill also would put in place a number of measures to better screen the 6 million cargo containers that arrive in U.S. ports every year. Only a fraction of the 20- to 40-foot-long metal boxes are physically inspected, although customs officials check cargo lists and target suspicious containers for a closer look.
Rep. James L. Oberstar of Minnesota, the top Democrat on the House Transportation Committee, said the bill would close "another hole" in America's defense shield. "We have 95,000 miles of coastline in the United States. We have to protect that coastline and our ports."
While aviation security legislation was approved about two months after the Sept. 11 attacks, port security has been more difficult.
Lawmakers want to increase security at ports but do not want to slow down the U.S. economy and impair the ability of businesses and farmers in their states to reach global markets.
And ports are difficult to protect because of their size and immense operations. "Look at the Port of New Orleans," said Coast Guard Capt. Mike Lapinski. "It stretches up one side of the river and down the other side about 100 miles."
The House bill is similar to a measure passed by the Senate last year, virtually ensuring that a port security bill will be sent to the president soon.
But one issue that still needs to be resolved is whether individuals who have served time for felony convictions, such as a drug offense, will be barred from working in secure areas.
