Bill Would Suspend Deadline for 100% Cargo Scanning

A new Senate bill would suspend the July 2012 deadline for scanning all cargo bound for the United States.

The Security and Accountability For Every Port Reauthorization Act of 2011 would extend measures designed to safeguard U.S. port and protect against attacks via maritime cargo, the senators who introduced the legislation said in a statement.

“Until X-ray scanning technology is proven effective at detecting radiological material and not disruptive of trade, requiring [scanning] of all U.S. bound cargo, regardless of its risk, at every foreign port, is misguided and provides a false sense of security,” the statement said.

Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.) are sponsoring the bill. They also sponsored the original SAFE Port Act, which was enacted in 2006.