Posted on 06/15/2002 8:08:00 PM PDT by Bowana
Tamper-proof cargo container tested by New Hampshire company
By NORMA LOVE
Associated Press Writer
HILLSBORO — A New Hampshire company was the first in the nation to test a new method of guaranteeing cargo containers aren’t tampered with during shipment from overseas, state and federal officials announced Friday.
A container of 400,000 auto tail lamps was shipped from Osram Sylvania’s plant in Slovakia to its plant in Hillsboro, Gov. Jeanne Shaheen and U.S. Attorneys from New Hampshire and Vermont said.
They said the container contained monitoring devices and arrived with safety seals intact after its 21/2-week journey. They said the test shows the technology may be able to safeguard the containers without causing delays that could hurt businesses.
"As far as we know, this is the first test of a complete supply chain in the country," said U.S. Attorney Thomas Colantuono of New Hampshire.
The system was developed after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks as part of a public-private partnership called Operation Safe Commerce.
Shaheen said it was apparent something had to be done to keep commerce from becoming bogged down at the border.
"It took additional time to get across the border," she said. "This had a serious impact on the economy."
After the attacks, Shaheen said officials decided they could never put enough agents on the border to inspect cargo quickly enough to avoid costly delays.
About 12 million cargo containers are shipped into the United States annually with about 10 percent coming into the northeast from ports in Montreal and Halifax, Colantuono said.
Shaheen, the U.S. Attorneys offices in New Hampshire and Vermont, the federal Department of Justice, Border Patrol, U.S. Marshal’s Service, Coast Guard, Department of Defense, Customs Service, Department of Transportation and state agencies developed the protocol to test using technology to secure the containers.
The Department of Defense supplied $200,000 to defray costs.
Osram Sylvania volunteered to test the system.
BDP International, a shipping company, the Port of Montreal and the New Hampshire International Trade Association also participated.
Friday’s announcement was the successful shipment of one container completing the first phase of the project, officials said. A second phase could involve different companies and different shipping routes.
U.S. Attorney Peter Hall of Vermont said the goal is to gather technical information to give to federal agencies, Congress and the White House to use in developing shipping policies.
Since New Hampshire began the project, ports in Washington, California, New York and New Jersey have begun working on similar ideas, said former U.S. Marshal Raymond Gagnon, who is directing the project. He said the theory is to push back the U.S. borders to the point of origin — an idea originally developed by former Coast Guard Commander Stephen Flynn.
What a waste of money. I remember reading an article on FR where a container of drugs was shipped in from out of the US, and delivered to the wrong address. Terrorists don't need to tamper with a container, they just have to rent one.
Oh Sure, Give them Ideas!
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