Security Briefs - Nov. 6 - 13
The Latest Headlines:
- Homeland Security Bill Deal Struck
- Con-Way to Add Security Surcharge
- U.S. to Randomly Check Cars in Michigan
- Managers Say Airports Won’t Meet Deadlines
- Mineta Names New Deputy RSPA Administrator
- Bi-State Motor Carriers to Host Inspection Demonstration
- Con-Way to Add Security Surcharge
Homeland Security Bill Deal Struck
The White House and congressional leaders reached an agreement Tuesday to begin pushing a bill through the legislature to create a Homeland Security Department, the Associated Press reported.Congressional officials expect that the Republican-controlled House to pass the bill Wednesday and the Senate, still controlled by the Democrats, to begin debate that same day and pass the bill sometime next week, AP said.
The bill would have provisions for arming pilots in the cockpit, delaying the baggage screening deadline and allow the new agency to do business with U.S. companies that move offshore to avoid taxes if it is deemed necessary to do so, AP said.
One of the sticking points in the talks on the bill was the rights of workers. That issue was resolved when Democrats and Republicans reached a deal requiring the department to negotiate changes with employee unions, but in the end, the government would have the final say, AP said. Transport Topics
Con-Way to Add Security Surcharge
Con-Way Transportation Services Inc. said that said Monday that it is adding a "homeland security surcharge" of $8 to all shipments moving across the U.S.-Canada border.The fee will go into effect on Jan. 2 and apply to all four of the company’s less-than-truckload units. Company officials said that the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, and the subsequent cost of government-mandated changes to border security have made the surcharge necessary. Con-Way cited added identification paperwork and increased delays as the main culprits in adding costs to cross-border shipping.
"Sept. 11 brought many changes to our lives. The need and concern for security is a goal we can all support, but it is having an impact on our operating costs. As government agencies on both sides of the border have continued to formulate and modify security plans, the increased cost impact has become a constant within our operations,” said Douglas W. Stotlar, chief operating officer of Con-Way. “It's now time to begin to recover these costs."
Con-Way is a division of CNF Inc. CNF is ranked No. 4 on the 2002 Transport Topics 100 listing of the largest trucking companies in the United States and Canada. Transport Topics
(Click here for the full press release.)
U.S. to Randomly Check Cars in Michigan
Federal agents in Michigan began stopping people at random Tuesday near the Canadian border in an effort to catch illegal immigrants, possible terrorists and drug and weapons smugglers, the Associated Press reported.Such stops could slow traffic and impede truckers heading to and from the border.
Federal officials said that the checks were especially important in Michigan, where three men have been charged with supporting terrorism since last year’s terrorist attacks, AP reported.
Several experts doubt the effectiveness of the checks in stopping terrorism, AP said, because terrorists are often sophisticated enough to avoid such pitfalls. Transport Topics
Managers Say Airports Won’t Meet Deadlines
With a government deadline looming, airport managers across the country said that a significant number of airports will not be able to screen all checked bags by the end of the year, the New York Times reported Wednesday.The government, after Sept. 11, 2001, mandated that all checked baggage be screened for explosives by Dec. 31, but for several months, airport manages have said that they will not be able to meet the deadline, the Times said.
The managers are hoping to get waivers from the Transportation Security Administration to miss the deadline.
Observers say that the system, if it is forced into effect on Jan. 1, will likely cause delays and other problems, the Times reported. Delays in flights can hold up cargo that is often carried in the bellies of passenger flights and taken from airports by trucks. Transport Topics
Mineta Names New Deputy RSPA Administrator
Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta said Nov. 8 that Samuel G. Bonasso had been named deputy administrator of the Research and Special Programs Administration.As deputy administrator, Bonasso, a former secretary of transportation in West Virginia, will be responsible for the safe and secure transportation of hazardous materials for industrial and consumer use, the Department of Transportation said.
"Sam is the ideal selection for this important position," said Mineta. "RSPA will be able to draw on his wealth of experience as a past state transportation secretary, an entrepreneur and a professional engineer." Transport Topics
Bi-State Motor Carriers to Host Inspection Demonstration
The Association of Bi-State Motor Carriers Inc. said Friday that it will be hosting a seminar and demonstration of a roadside inspection on Nov. 12.The New Jersey State Police Commercial Vehicle Inspection Team will conduct the seminar, the association said.
“The program is designed to showcase the inspection system used on containers and trailers and the team will be available for questions,” the association said in a release.
The association said that it focuses on issues and interests of truckers who serve the port areas of New York and New Jersey.
Jeffery Bader, president of the association, said that the seminar is important to insure the safety and roadability of their vehicles. Transport Topics
(Click here for the full press release.)
