News Release
FOR RELEASE - May 10, 2007
Contact: Aaron Ellis, aellis@aapa-ports.org
703-706-4714
American Association of Port Authorities
Phone: (202) 792-4033
www.aapa-ports.org
DHS Announces $202 Million In Awards To 183 Entities
ALEXANDRIA, VA (May 10, 2007) – The American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA), which represents public ports throughout the Western Hemisphere, welcomed the announcement today by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that it will award $202,269,793 in federal grants to help 183 public and private entities improve security in and around port facilities. Congress appropriated $210 million for the Port Facility Grant program in fiscal year 2007, although $1.4 million was moved to the Ferry Security Grant program and three percent was allowed for administrative purposes.
For the Fiscal 2007 grant program, DHS’s Press Package only released information by port area, and included a comparison of Port Security Grant funds allocated from FY’02-FY’07. For this “Overview: FY’2007 Infrastructure Protection Program Final Awards,” see http://www.dhs.gov/xnews/releases/pr_1178811654577.shtm. A full list of recipients is available on AAPA’s web page at www.aapa-ports.org.
As
in previous years, the funds will be distributed based on a prioritization of
risk, although this year the program separated ports into four risk tiers and
pre-assigned funds for Tier I port areas, which received 60 percent of the
funds. Unlike the last two rounds, all
port areas were eligible to apply, a priority of AAPA’s that was included in
last year’s
Like last year, all entities receiving Fiscal 2007 Port Security Grant awards will pay a cost-share amount to participate. Public entities, such as seaport authorities and state and local governments, must pay 25 percent, while private entities, such as sightseeing cruise and petroleum terminals, will have to pay 50 percent.
The security grants will not only assist marine facilities in paying for things like landside surveillance, access controls, interoperable communications and systems to prevent and detect improvised explosive device attacks, but will also provide much needed funds to pay for training as well as technology and equipment to test and install Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) card readers for facilities.
This
is the seventh time that the federal government has released Port Security Grant
funds since initiating the program after
According
to AAPA President/CEO
“We believe a stronger federal partnership is necessary to help our public ports balance the pressure of competing priorities, such as infrastructure development, environmental initiatives, access improvements and promoting economic growth,” said Mr. Nagle. “Both the Administration and Congress acknowledged this fact in approving the SAFE Port Act legislation last year, which authorizes $400 million a year for port facility grants.” He added, “It's important that the FY’08 spending bill provide the full $400 million for the Port Security Grant program to help ports pay to install TWIC card readers and other terrorism prevention programs at their facilities. AAPA will continue to work with members of Congress to achieve this funding level. We are especially thankful that the emergency supplemental bill currently being debated by Congress includes an additional $190 million to bring the FY’07 funding level up to $400 million as called for in the SAFE Port Act.”
This year, the grant program moved from the Office of Grants and Training to the Federal Emergency Management Administration, both of which are under DHS authority.
