HOUSTON, Sept. 14, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Tom Ridge on Monday announced that the Port of Houston Authority (PHA) will receive $1.528 million of the $49 million allocation in Round 4 federal port security grants. The funds will be used for implementing controlled entry through the main gates to the port's Turning Basin. The PHA had applied for approximately $18.7 million in port security grant funds for a cohesive security program involving surveillance, technology, infrastructure, and communications equipment to secure the port.
"The announcement of these grant funds is great news not only for the Port of Houston Authority but the entire Houston region," stated Jim Edmonds, PHA Chairman. "These grant funds will be put to good use to ensure safety and security at the port and protect the free flow of trade through our facilities. The port authority is fortunate to have friends like our Texas delegation on Capitol Hill. I commend our congressional leaders as well as U.S. Coast Guard Captain Richard Kaser for their outstanding efforts to raise the importance of port security as a national priority."
Turning Basin Main Gate Project
The scope of this project will involve implementing controlled entry through the main entry gates into the port's Turning Basin area. The project will comprise upgrading the main gate to incorporate access control systems for the processing of credentialed vehicles and individuals requiring entry into the port facility. The project includes security fencing, automated gates, access control systems, camera surveillance systems, a guard station, and related improvements.
This project was recommended to improve security in an assessment completed last year by CH2MHILL relating to properly and consistently identifying individuals who want to enter the facility, controlling access into and throughout the facility, and keeping a record of all people entering and leaving the facility. The project is expected to start soon after the official notification process is completed.
The Port of Houston Authority owns and operates the public facilities located along the Port of Houston, the 25-mile long complex of diversified public and private facilities designed for handling general cargo, containers, grain and other dry bulk materials, project and heavy lift cargo, and other types of cargo. Each year, more than 6,600 vessels call at the port, which ranks first in the U.S. in foreign waterborne tonnage, second in overall total tonnage, and sixth largest in the world. The Port Authority plays a vital role in ensuring navigational safety along the Houston Ship Channel, which has been instrumental in Houston's development as a center of international trade. The Barbours Cut Container Terminal and Central Maintenance Facility are the first of any U.S. port facilities to develop and implement an innovative Environmental Management System that meets the rigorous standards of ISO 14001. Additionally, the port is an approved delivery point for Coffee "C" futures contracts traded on the New York Board of Trade's Coffee, Sugar & Cocoa Exchange. For more information, please visit www.portofhouston.com
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