Security Briefs - July 10 - July 16
The Latest Headlines:
- Many Canadian Truckers Rejected for FAST Program
- Low-Risk Truckers May Not Be Inspected at U.S.-Canada Border
- N.J. Indicts 24 in Cargo Theft Ring
- DOE Halts Planned Nuclear Shipments Across California
- L.A. Mayor Pushes Plan to Make Airport Safer From Terrorism
- Low-Risk Truckers May Not Be Inspected at U.S.-Canada Border
Many Canadian Truckers Rejected for FAST Program
More than 75% of truckers across Canada applying for the Free and Secure Trade (FAST) program are rejected due to either security concerns or clerical errors in their applications, the Vancouver Sun reported Monday.FAST is a joint initiative of Canada and the United States aimed at speeding traffic flow at the border, while simultaneously freeing up security officials to inspect higher-risk vehicles entering both nations.
The most common errors on applications are incomplete information on truckers' five-year address and work histories, no identification attached and incorrect payment, the article said. Transport Topics
Low-Risk Truckers May Not Be Inspected at U.S.-Canada Border
The United States and Canada are expanding a new high-tech security pass system that allows "low-risk" truckers to drive across the border uninspected, the Vancouver Province reported Monday.Truckers who clear a series of security hurdles are given a microchip pass that is inserted in the windshield of their rigs.
This sends a signal to a receiver at the border to let the truck through, the article said. Transport Topics
N.J. Indicts 24 in Cargo Theft Ring
New Jersey officials on Thursday announced the indictment of 24 people who they said were part of a theft ring that stole millions of dollars in goods from freight trains over the past decade, the New York Times reported.The group, which called itself the "Conrail Boyz," would leap onto slow-moving trains coming into and out of Croxton Terminal in Jersey City and use bolt cutters to break into cargo containers. They would then throw boxes of goods off the trains to accomplices, who would load them into trucks, according to investigators.
Investigators said this "sophisticated cartel" involved in money laundering, and the operation had an international reputation for dealing in a wide variety of black-market items.
The Times said that the man accused of being the ringleader, Edward Mongon, was still at large. Transport Topics
DOE Halts Planned Nuclear Shipments Across California
A plan to ship nuclear waste from Nevada to New Mexico through Southern California was canceled because of opposition from state officials, the Associated Press reported Thursday.This marked the first time that shipment plans by the Department of Energy have been halted because of a state's resistance, AP said. There were no immediate plans to reschedule the truck shipments.
The primary objection was the roundabout route, from Nevada through California and Arizona to a disposal facility in New Mexico. Part of the trip was along state Highway 127, a former wagon road that authorities said was not designed for heavy trucks, is poorly maintained in places and is popular with tourists heading to Death Valley, AP said.
DOE had not indicated how much waste would have been trucked, AP said. Transport Topics
L.A. Mayor Pushes Plan to Make Airport Safer From Terrorism
Los Angeles Mayor James Hahn outlined a $9 billion renovation plan for Los Angeles International Airport that he said would make it less vulnerable to terrorism, the Associated Press reported Thursday.The airport is one of the busiest passenger and cargo airports in the United States.
The plan would set up one remote check-in point with a tram to move passengers to a new 6.5 million square-foot main terminal and other terminals. The plan also would limit the number of travelers to about 79 million passengers a year by decreasing the number of gates, AP said.
However, a report from a think-tank said consolidating passenger check-ins at a single location still accessible by cars would actually make travelers more vulnerable to car bombs and other attacks, AP noted.
The airport has twice been targeted for attacks in recent years — a foiled bomb plot planned for around New Year's Day 2000 and a shooting at a check-in counter that left three dead on July 4 last year. Transport Topics
