DHS installs 26 radiation monitors in Florida port
DHS has been assigned the task of scanning 100 percent of all sea-going cargo containers entering the U.S. by the end of 2008; it does so one port at a time
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) unveiled three Radiation Portal Monitors (RPM) at the Port of Palm Beach, located in Riviera Beach, Florida. The CBP has place growing emphasis on securing U.S. entry points by detecting radiological emissions coming from containers arriving from foreign and exiting ports to enter into the commerce of the United States. RPMs are being deployed throughout Florida and the United States as part of the ambitious goal of examining 100 percent of all sea-going cargo containers entering the country by the end of 2008. About 80,000 containers pass through the port annually.
Last week’s unveiling completes the installation of 26 RPM units located in various major seaports throughout Florida, with an additional 10 scheduled for completion by late October 2007. “These Radiation Portal Monitors are a great addition to our layered approach to securing the nation’s border while facilitating legitimate trade,” said Harold Woodward, CBP’s director of field operations in South Florida.
