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Proposal: Platforms at Sea Would Scan Ships and Containers
Giant floating platforms use scanners and X-ray machines to probe rows of cargo containers while still miles away from port. Crane-topped ships perform surgical extractions of suspect containers on the pitching sea. A ring of computer-filled buoys beeps approval to ports around the country.This isn't the plot of an upcoming science fiction movie. This is the big-budget idea from a group of local [Florida] entrepreneurs who want to prevent a terrorist from getting biological agents, explosives or a suitcase-sized "tactical nuke" into our ports. The system would cost a total of $2.1 billion or more to install at ports nationwide. Officials at Titusville-based SeaAway Habitat Technologies have been shopping their idea to bigwigs in homeland security, as well as executives at big container ports like Jacksonville and Miami. Not everyone, however, agrees with SeaAway's approach. Some competitors in the port-security business say it would be cheaper and just as safe to train special inspectors to find problems, have them staff foreign ports and sign off on American-bound goods before a ship ever sets sail. Still, security gurus agree something needs to be done. Analyses since the 9-11 terrorist attacks have shown only 4 percent of cargo containers ever get fully checked... Actually, it's closer to 7 percent - still low. Not included in this is a profiling process to find possible problem containers. Whoever is right, the government likely will "jump on anything that will be an improvement" over current port-security measures, said Canaveral Port Authority Chairman Ray Sharkey. "Security is always on my mind. The biggest problem is there are so many areas you are vulnerable to. You can't guarantee there won't be a problem unless you build a magic dome." Posted by: Pappy 2005-08-02 |
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