Security Briefing
- Congress Passes Aviation Security Bill
- U.S. Seeks to Increase Traffic Flow at Northern Border
- N.M. Plans Undercover Truck Inspections
- USPS to Irradiate Santa Letters
- Anti-Terrorism Group Criticizes Anthrax Response
- More Anthrax Letters Could Be In System
- Trucks Get Surprise Inspection at Golden Gate Bridge
- Insurance Rates Rise in Wake of Attacks
- Group Recommends Hazmat License Moratorium
- U.S. Seeks to Increase Traffic Flow at Northern Border
Congress Passes Aviation Security Bill
The U.S. House of Representatives passed the new aviation security bill by a 410-9 margin Friday, just hours it was approved by a voice vote in the Senate, news services reported.resident Bush is expected to sign the bill Monday. Passage of the bill was important to members of Congress who wanted to show it was safe to fly before the Thanksgiving holiday brought on the heaviest travel season of the year, the Associated Press reported.
As part of the legislation, all airport baggage screeners are brought under federal management, the Associated Press reported. On Thursday, House and Senate negotiators reached tentative agreement on the legislation.
Although the two sides had been in agreement on many parts of the bill, such as fortifying cockpit doors, increasing air marshals on flights and screening check-in bags, House Republicans had disagreed with the Senate’s approach of making screeners federal workers similar to customs or immigration officials.
U.S. Seeks to Increase Traffic Flow at Northern Border
The U.S. government is working to speed commercial traffic at the U.S.-Canada border, Bloomberg reported Thursday, although companies fear that increased security following the terrorist attacks is hampering trade in both directions.James Gurule, the U.S. Department of Treasury's undersecretary for enforcement, said that, while enhanced border security is a new reality, options to smooth the trade flow include inspecting trucks where they are loaded and waiving some inspections when background checks on the driver and employees who load the truck don't raise suspicion.
According to Bloomberg, the current waiting period for trucks at the northern border could be four hours or more, depending on location and volume of traffic. Transport Topics
N.M. Plans Undercover Truck Inspections
The New Mexico Motor Vehicle Division is starting a crackdown aimed at taking unqualified truck drivers off the roads, the Associated Press reported.The state agency will double the number of inspections it makes at trucking companies and conduct undercover reviews. It wants to make sure these companies are complying with the laws, such as mandatory drug testing.
Undercover investigators will also try to obtain commercial driver licenses by using bribes and fraudulent documents, AP said. Transport Topics
USPS to Irradiate Santa Letters
The U.S. Postal Service announced that hundreds of thousands of letters to Santa Claus sent in New York will be irradiated against the anthrax bacteria, so that an 80-year-old tradition can continue.
Each year, the Postal Service in New York makes such letters available to the public in a charitable program called Operation Santa Claus. Typically, about 30,000 letters would be answered in the effort.
The tradition stems from the 1920s, when a group of postal workers were touched by the letters and responded on their own, the Associated Press said.
David Solomon, regional vice president of the USPS, said the letters were being irradiated to allow people to feel comfortable with opening the letters.
Because of the age of the senders, many letters to Santa typically carry some of the warning signs – like poor penmanship – that the Postal Service cited in its effort to curb the spread of the disease, the Associated Press reported.
The USPS in New York usually receives 400,000 letters addressed to Santa Claus, to be delivered to the North Pole or the Bronx Zoo, which houses several reindeer. Transport Topics
Anti-Terrorism Group Criticizes Anthrax Response
Members of a national anti-terrorism panel said the response of government agencies to the recent anthrax attacks wasn't up to par, the Associated Press reported.The group, headed by Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore, said that the Centers for Disease Control, as well as federal, state and local agencies don't have the testing facilities to handle a bioterrorism crisis like the one that emerged when letters infected with anthrax began turning up in Washington and New York, AP said.
The commission was set up in 1999 to determine the country's ability to respond to biological and other terrorist attacks.
The group pointed to turf battles between the CDC and the FBI and poor communication between public health officials and the public about infection risks as other problems in the anthrax response. Transport Topics
More Anthrax Letters Could Be In System
The U.S. State Department and Centers for Disease Control said that tests of a Sterling, Va. mail facility indicate there may be another letter infected with anthrax in the agency’s mail system.MSNBC reported Tuesday that eight of 55 samples taken from the State Department’s off site mail facility show traces of the bacteria. The number of samples indicate to officials that there is another letter, similar to the one sent to Sen. Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) somewhere in the system.
The Daschle letter is thought to be responsible for the deaths of two Washington, D.C. postal workers and for contaminating several congressional offices.
Also, anthrax has been detected at a mailroom at Howard University, according to the Washington Post. This is the first time a non-governmental location where traces of the bacteria have been detected in the Washington area. Transport Topics
Trucks Get Surprise Inspection at Golden Gate Bridge
In a stepped-up security move ordered by Calif. Gov. Gray Davis, all trucks heading to the Golden Gate Bridge beginning Sunday afternoon were inspected, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.Officers checked driver's licenses and log books, and inspected truck beds, according to traffic officer John Brandt. He said that a few drivers passed by the checkpoints because they hadn't seen the signs or didn't realize it applied to them.
The story said the checkpoints were put into action quickly in an attempt to catch truck drivers by surprise. Transport Topics
Insurance Rates Rise in Wake of Attacks
Insurance companies, feeling the pinch from claims after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, will likely pass their increased costs onto their customers in the form of higher premiums, the Associated Press reported.Industries expected to be hardest hit by the new higher rates include the airlines, shipping companies and energy industries. The owners of high-profile buildings are also expected to see large premium increases.
Previous experience also suggests the trucking industry would be one of the groups being targeted for higher premiums.
One of the reasons that insurance premiums are expected to increase, aside from the massive costs incurred as a result of Sept. 11, is that unlike a natural disaster, terrorist attacks are a man-made occurrence and their likelihood cannot be predicted. Transport Topics
Group Recommends Hazmat License Moratorium
The American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators on Nov. 9 recommended a six-month moratorium on licensing commercial drivers to transport hazardous materials unless they are U.S. citizens or are documented resident aliens.The association, which represents North American motor vehicle administrators and law enforcement officials, made this and other recommendations to Congress and the departments of Justice and Transportation so that hazmat licensing can continue despite the recent passage of the anti-terrorism bill.
"...we are concerned there are a number of provisions in (the anti-terrorism bill) that cannot be implemented without an official rulemaking from the U.S. Department of Transportation,” said Linda Lewis, president and CEO of AAMVA. “In the interim we need short-term solutions enabling CDL holders to continue interstate commerce associated with transporting hazardous materials.”
During the proposed moratorium, AAMVA said it would work to develop a safe system for issuing hazmat endorsements. It would also provide a monthly report on new issuance and renewals to attorney general.
AAMVA also suggested a new definition of hazardous materials that applies to all drivers with hazmat licenses, not just aliens. Transport Topics
