DOT 17-02
Thursday, February 28,
2002
U.S. Department of Transportation Establishes Port
Security Grants
For Critical National Seaports
U.S. Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta today announced the implementation of a new Port Security Grants Program to finance security enhancements at critical national seaports.
“Port security is an important front in the war on
terrorism,” said Secretary Mineta.
“This program will accelerate the installation of enhanced security
measures for passengers and cargo that pass through our vital
ports.”
Congress appropriated $93.3 million to the Transportation
Security Administration (TSA) for port security assessments and
improvements. A selection board
consisting of the Under Secretary of Transportation for Security, the Maritime
Administrator and the Commandant of the Coast Guard will base awards on
consideration of the most urgent needs from a homeland security
perspective.
“We are moving quickly to put this money to work,” Under
Secretary of Transportation for Security John Magaw said. “We will accept
preliminary applications immediately, and hope to begin making awards in
June.”
The program establishes two categories for grants:
1. Security assessments and mitigation strategies, based on proposed port or terminal security assessments that ascertain vulnerabilities and identify mitigation strategies, and
2.
Enhanced Facility and Operational Security, including but not limited to
facility access control, physical security, cargo security and passenger
security.
TSA staff, MARAD’s regional directors and the Coast Guard
will assist in reviewing and prioritizing applications before submitting them to
the selection board.
All grant applications will be submitted and
evaluated electronically, and grants will be awarded and administered through
the web site, www.portsecuritygrants.dottsa.net. A broad agency announcement providing
details about the program is being published in FedBizOpps, http://www.fedbizopps.gov/.
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