More port security measures in place here

Bomb-sniffing dogs and armed Coast Guard escorts of passenger ferries may be the most visible sign of changes to security at the Port of Seattle since 9/11.

But behind the scenes in the past five years, federal and local officials say they've implemented a string of security measures designed to better screen cargo and people entering the Puget Sound region.


		Karen Ducey / P-I
	The Port of Seattle seen from the West Seattle Bridge. Six other U.S. ports are at the center of a security controversy.

Custom agents now inspect cargo containers at overseas ports even before they leave for the United States. Ships must also send their manifests -- a detailed list of cargo -- to the Coast Guard for inspection long before it hits Seattle docks and terminals.

Vessels bound for the United States are now required to submit a formal security plan in advance, detailing how they intend to secure engine rooms and other restricted areas, and spelling out plans for terrorism-related evacuations.

Trucks traveling in and out of the port must pass through a Vehicle and Cargo Inspection System that uses gamma rays to scan the contents of containers, which is then matched against manifests.

"Since 9/11, (security) has taken on new dimensions that they didn't have before," said Bob Watters, vice president of Seattle-based SSA Marine, the world's largest privately held cargo terminal operator and cargo-handling company. "There are many different layers of security in the process."

It's a challenging area to protect -- with the proximity of the Canadian border, tankers and cargo ships entering the Sound, and active military bases, said Michael Moore, who retired in 2002 as Coast Guard captain of the Port in Seattle.

Moore was in charge on 9/11 when port security convulsed into a top national priority.

Seattle's ports are safer since the terrorist attacks, said Moore, but he added that we have to remain vigilant "to make it ever more difficult for the bad guys."

The special operations Port Security Unit 313 that Moore immediately ordered into service on 9/11 -- an elite group of 100 Coast Guard reservists trained to guard the Navy in foreign ports -- has been replaced with permanent Coast Guard units: fast, orange boats with black-clad Coasties that often startle ferry riders.

"We're going on a journey that gets us more security all the time," Moore said. A new rule, for example, requires that any cargo vessel heading to the United States from a foreign port must provide its cargo manifest to Customs and the Border Patrol 24 hours before it leaves the last foreign port before entering this country. If something's amiss, containers can be removed and inspected before the vessel sails.

The lead agencies under the Homeland Security Department are the Coast Guard and Customs.

The Coast Guard is responsible for securing vessels and marine terminals, and has a regulatory role. Customs and the Border Patrol regulate security of cargo on ships.

"The security is not lax; it's definitely been heightened," said Herald Ugles, president of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 19 in Seattle.

But he added that there's always room for improvement -- such as manual checking of empty containers.

Some say the new security measures were an extension of what they had been doing all along, and haven't been onerous.

"The impact of these things haven't been all that dramatic as far as cruise lines go," said Charles Mandigo, director of fleet security for Holland America Line and Seattle's former top FBI agent.

Watters, of SSA Marine, said there was a slowdown when the measures were first introduced, but "now that we've got the systems in place, we're working pretty efficiently."

KEY SECURITY INITIATIVES

Since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, federal, state and local officials say they've implemented a string of security measures that are designed to better screen cargo and people entering the Puget Sound.

Before cargo arrives

Pre-shipment inspection: Customs inspectors stationed in large overseas ports identify and inspect high-risk containers before they are loaded on ships bound for the U.S.
24-hour rule: Customs requires cargo vessels heading to U.S. ports to provide cargo manifest 24 hours before leaving the last foreign port prior to arrival in the U.S.
96-hour rule: All in-bound international cruise and cargo vessels must notify the Coast Guard of the last five ports-of-call, cargo manifest and crew list 96 hours prior to arrival at any U.S. port.
Maritime Safety and Security Teams: These are small, armed Coast Guard fast-response boats that patrol critical waterways. They escort vessels and sometimes shadow cruise ships, ferries and tankers.

After cargo arrives

Screening: Customs uses large-scale X-ray and gamma ray machines and radiation detection devices, left, to screen cargo.
Canine detection teams: They also use trained dogs to identify narcotics, bulk currency, human beings, explosives and chemical weapons.
Physical inspections: Security initiatives aim to reduce physical examinations of cargo containers. Customs physically inspects about 6 percent of in-bound cargo each year.

P-I reporter Phuong Cat Le can be reached at 206-448-8390 or phuongle@seattlepi.com.

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