DHS to spend $400 million to bolster U.S. ports security
DHS offers 14 different grant programs to help bolster security at U.S. ports; port security grant funding has increased in 2008 budget by $76 million, now totaling almost $390 million
DHS will spend $400 million in grants to beef up security in the country’s ports. DHS secretary Michael Chertoff in a statement said, “Port security grant funding this year is up $76 million, over last year, for a total of almost $390 million.” The funding involves 14 different grant programs for 2008. Top tier ports receiving the following increases from their 2007 port security allocations: San Francisco Bay, from $14 million to $25.5 million; Los Angeles-Long Beach, $15.4 million to $26.3 million; Delaware Bay, $13.2 million to $19.1 million; New Orleans, $12.7 million to $29.4 million; New York-New Jersey, $27.3 million to $43.3 million; Houston-Galveston, $15.1 million to almost $31 million this year; Puget Sound will increase from $17.3 million to $26 million.
The 2008 Port Security Grant Program, however, has set aside $10 million for program administration. The funds will be distributed to implement port area-wide risk management and mitigation projects, as well as continuity of operations plans. The department also announced that $134 million in funding is available for other ports. Deadline for grant applications is 17 March and the names of the ports that have won grants will be announced in the spring.
According the American Association of Port Authorities, the country’s seaports are the nation’s first lines of defense against terrorism. The organization lauded the government for approving the 2008 appropriations bill, which included $400 million for port facility security grants.
