Washington, DC--Senators Edward M. Kennedy and John F. Kerry and members of the Massachusetts Congressional Delegation announced today that the federal Department of Homeland Security will release a total of $4.5 million in grants to help secure Massachusetts seaports. Congress provided this funding in the Fiscal Year 2003 Omnibus Appropriations bill signed into law in February, and the $74.8 billion War Supplemental bill signed into law in March.

The Recipients of these grants include; Massport ($1,175,000); the Massachusetts State Police ($1,200,000); the Massachusetts Environmental Police ($360,000); Distrigas of Massachusetts LLC ($300,000); the Everett Police Department ($170,000); the Governor’s Seaport Advisory Council ($100,000); the Town of Oak Bluffs Emergency Management Department ($285,000); Woods Hole Steamship Authority ($624,000); and Global Companies LLC ($243,000).

“This funding is so desperately needed,” Senator Kennedy said. “We must do all we can to ensure the safety of Massachusetts residents, the integrity of our vital ports, and security of critical supplies like home heating oil. Unfortunately, despite Congress’ repeated attempts, we have not yet succeeded in making port security a top priority in the fight to protect the American homeland. We have to get far greater resources in the pipeline.”

“I am pleased that funding has been released to help upgrade security at our ports. Unfortunately, the total grant program represents a fraction of what is actually needed, not just for the Commonwealth but for the country. Although we passed comprehensive port security legislation last year, funding its mandates has yet to become a priority for this administration,” said Senator Kerry. “However, I welcome the release of these funds and will continue to press the administration to release more funding for port security.”

Rep. Edward Markey (D-Malden), a senior member of the Select Committee on Homeland Security said, “Today’s announcement of federal funding is welcome news. The City of Everett's LNG facility is the nation's only such facility in an incredibly dense urban area and these funds are badly needed to provide security. I hope that more funds will be made available very soon to secure Everett and the surrounding communities.”

“The Port of Boston receives a substantial amount of cargo and fuel shipments every year. While this much needed funding increases the resources available to protect our citizens and secure our ports, it is not enough to allow public safety officials to meet increased security demands. It is critical that the Administration give port security the attention it deserves as decisions are made regarding protecting our homeland,” said Congressman Mike Capuano.

“This aid can’t arrive soon enough,” Congressman Delahunt said. “Local emergency authorities have been working diligently to help how we may be vulnerable and to how to help enhance safety. There’s no mystery about what's needed now: the money to pay for better security.”

Congressman Stephen F. Lynch said, “While this federal funding is welcome news for the Port of Boston, we have only begun to address the potential threats we may face along the Massachusetts coastline. To ensure the safety and security of the nation’s 361 ports, we have a responsibility to rewrite our blueprint for the future of port security. That includes establishing screening checkpoints at the seaports in Europe and Asia and Africa, so that we can inspect cargo containers before they begin to approach American shores.”

In the past two years, Congress has passed the Maritime Transportation Security Act (MTSA), which calls on the Coast Guard to conduct comprehensive port vulnerability assessments and to develop national and regional maritime security plans, and provided a total of $368 million for port security grants to state and local governments. A recent Coast Guard report suggests that simply to meet the aggressive new security requirements of the MTSA, over $6.6 billion is needed in the next decade.

Yet despite the renewed focus on port security, the Administration has proposed diverting $105 million of the TSA’s port security program to other budgetary needs, and has not requested any port security grant funding in its Fiscal Year 2004 budget request. In addition, the Administration led an effort during the debate on the $74.8 billion War Supplemental bill to defeat an amendment that would have provided an additional $1 billion for port security programs.

Of the 7 million shipping containers that pass the nation’s ports each year, only 2 to 4 percent are physically inspected by human beings, electronic scanning, or x-ray machines, a security weakness that could jeopardize the 25 percent of the nation’s gross domestic product directly attributable to international trade. Over 75 percent of all international trade between the US and other countries is carried by ships, and 100 percent of all foreign oil coming into the country.

According to a recent report on a port security “war game” conducted by Booz Allen Hamilton consultants involving two hypothetical undetonated dirty bombs in Los Angeles and Savannah and a third exploded dirty bomb in Chicago, the nation> '> s ports would be subjected to a 12-day closing. Such an event would result in a three-month backlog of containers and cost the US economy more than $58 billion.

The Port of Boston handles approximately 1.3 million tons of general cargo, 1.5 million tons of non-fuel bulk cargo, and 12.8 million tons of bulk fuel annually. It also serves as a major port of call, handling over 250,000 cruise passengers per year. The Harbor is home to a major liquefied natural gas (LNG) holding facility, as well as petroleum depots vital to operating the Northeast’s transportation system and to fulfilling regional home heating requirements.

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