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GAO Outlines Challenges in 100% Air Cargo Screening |
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by Mickey McCarter
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Thursday, 19 March 2009 |
Participation, technology may hinder domestic screening by deadline
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has made strides toward 100-percent screening of aviation cargo but it faces several challenges in meeting that goal by a deadline of August 2010, congressional investigators said Wednesday.
TSA has solicited the voluntary cooperation of companies involved in aviation supply chains ranging from air carriers, freight forwarders and shippers, according to a study from the Government Accountability Office (GAO). Ultimately, air carriers have responsibility to ensure the screening of their cargo under the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007, which required screening of 50 percent of aviation cargo by February 2009 and 100 percent by August 2010.
"Although TSA estimates that it achieved the mandated 50 percent screening level by February 2009 as it applies to domestic cargo, the agency cannot yet verify that the requisite levels of cargo are being screened. It is working to establish a system to do so by April 2009," Stephen Lord, GAO director of Homeland Security and Justice Issues, told the House Subcommittee on Transportation Security and Infrastructure Protection.
TSA met the 50 percent mark by implementing a requirement for 100 percent screening on narrow-body aircraft, leaving larger aircraft to meet cargo screening requirements later, noted the GAO study, titled "Aviation Security: Preliminary Observations on TSA's Progress and Challenges in Meeting the Statutory Mandate for Screening Air Cargo on Passenger Aircraft."
TSA also has closed many exemptions for domestic cargo screening, started a technology pilot for screening, and created the Certified Cargo Screening Program (CCSP) to encourage air cargo screening at various points in the supply chain.
The agency still faces hurdles that may prevent it from reaching a goal of 100 percent aviation cargo screening, however, GAO warned. As the program is voluntary, the rate of participants joining CCSP may slow significantly. Also, TSA has moved forward with the development and testing of technologies to screen air cargo but it has not completed assessments of those technologies, particularly those that screen large pallets bound for wide-body aircraft.
TSA also has a limited number of inspectors, which may be unable to provide oversight to thousands of CCSP participants.
Most importantly, TSA already has given up on meeting the 100 percent aviation screening mandate for inbound cargo as it cannot overcome some screening exemptions and due to the high degree of international cooperation the goal requires for linking security systems, GAO added.
GAO conducted the study to make preliminary observations on how far TSA had come in meeting the aviation screening mandate. TSA agreed with the GAO observations.
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Mickey McCarter |
| About the author: |
| eNewsletter Editor/Senior Washington Correspondent,
is a journalist with more than a decade of experience in reporting
on
military affairs and information technology.
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