Law Mandating Scanning Of All U.s.-bound Cargo Containers By 2012: Possible Or Impractical?

< BACK TO INTERNATIONAL starstarstarstarstar   Culture - International Press Release
24th June 2008, 08:35am - Views: 842









Law Mandating Scanning of All U.S.-Bound Cargo Containers by 2012: Possible or Impractical?


NEWARK, N.J., June 24 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ --


                   Cover Report By The Journal Of Commerce 

 

    In the high-stakes strategy of homeland security, Congress is demanding that by 2012, cargo containers

bound for the U.S. receive 100 percent scanning prior to loading. Will this move ensure 100 percent cargo

security for the United States? What are the potential disruptions to container terminals and other

international trade business operations? Is this measure even feasible? 


    Senior Editor R.G. Edmonson takes an in-depth look at the controversies surrounding this mandate in the

June 23 cover story in The Journal of 

Commerce. The full article is available online at 


Commerce (http://www.joc.com), founded in 1827, is published by Commonwealth 

Business Media Inc. (http://www.cbizmedia.com), a subsidiary of United 



    Edmonson reports that two weeks ago, at a hearing arranged by New Jersey 

Democrat Sen. Frank Lautenberg, chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee subcommittee on maritime

transportation, administration witnesses were called 

to account for why they couldn't meet the 2012 deadline. 


    Congress' own watchdog agency, the Government Accountability Office, and 

the Deputy Customs Commissioner raised issues of risk management, 

technological inadequacy, manpower shortages and potential diplomatic and sovereignty problems. But

Congress reaffirmed its will to implement 100 

percent scanning in four years, while government witnesses defended their position that the deadline was

unrealistic. 


    Edmonson also examines the outcome of the World Customs Organization 

conference on the same subject, held two days before Lautenberg's hearing. The 

conference brought together government and international trade leaders and scanning technology

manufacturers. There, a panel of terminal operators 

offered a novel suggestion: The threat of a nuclear or radiological weapon secreted in a container could be

mitigated by the latest generation of 

radiation monitors. 


    Edmonson explains that the outdated Radiation Portal Monitors could detect 

radioactivity, but were unable to make a distinction between an atom bomb and 

a sack of cat litter. The Advanced Spectroscopic Portal, a device created by 

the U.S. government and its industry partners to replace the RPM, actually identifies individual isotopes and

has software that alerts and operator when 

radiation is coming from a dangerous source. The ASP has shown that it can isolate a threat without

disrupting the flow of traffic at terminal gates. 

    Edmonson's story goes into greater detail on pilot project results from the SAFE Port Act of 2006 and the

Advanced Spectroscopic Portal, the 

possibility of mandatory cargo container scanning worldwide and the potential 

for private sector involvement. 


    For information on a full-access subscription to the print and electronic 

versions of The Journal of Commerce, call 1-888-215-6084 (8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. ET) 

or email cbizservices@sunbeltfs.com. 

 

SOURCE  Commonwealth Business Media Inc. 

Science Research Commonwealth Business Media Inc. 2 image

    

    CONTACT:  Joseph Bonney, 

              editor-in-chief, 

              +1-973-848-7139, 

              jbonney@joc.com, 


              or R.G. (Bob) Edmonson, 

              senior editor, 

              +1-202-355-1143, 

              bedmonson@joc.com, 


              both of The Journal of Commerce

 

   Web site:  http://www.cbizmedia.com 

              http://www.unitedbusinessmedia.com 

              http://www.joc.com


To view this and other AsiaNet releases please visit http://www.asianetnews.net






news articles logo NEWS ARTICLES
Contact News Articles |Remove this article