22 Ports Not Adequately Screening Cargo Containers

Cargo containers arriving at the 22 maritime ports through which the greatest volume of containerized cargo enters the United States have not adequately been screened.

DHS IG Finds 22 Ports Not Adequately Screening Cargo Containers For Radiation; Former Port Security Official Provides Insight.

Cargo containers arriving at the 22 maritime ports through which the greatest volume of containerized cargo enters the United States have not adequately been screened for radiation as required by law, according to a new audit by the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG). And that’s raised the ire of a ranking member of the House Homeland Security Committee.

The OIG’s audit also raised many questions that weren’t addressed in the audit report that were outlined to Homeland Security Today by a former Customs and Border Protection (CBP) port security official.

The OIG’s audit report, United States Customs and Border Protection’s Radiation Portal Monitors at Seaports, stated that “Although all cargo is being screened, we identified some radiation portal monitors utilized infrequently or not utilized at all …”

The audit report, which the OIG sent to Kevin McAleenan, CBP Assistant Commissioner, Office of Field Operations, said DHS “component [agencies] do not fully coordinate or centrally manage the radiation portal monitor program to ensure effective and efficient operations.”

“Specifically,” the OIG reported, CBP “does not consistently gather and review utilization information to ensure that it is fully utilizing all radiation portal monitors. CBP does not always monitor and promptly evaluate changes in the screening environment at seaports to relocate radiation portal monitors as necessary.”

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Source: HS Today.