Port, bus security grants total $148 million

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) plans to allocate $148 million in grants for port and bus security, Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta announced Tuesday.

Mineta said those funds were made available under the fiscal 2002 emergency spending law. Mineta said TSA would award about $105 million to certain U.S. seaports for security assessments, cargo and passenger security enhancements, and strategies to mitigate vulnerabilities.

An additional $28 million will be earmarked for a port-security pilot program under Operation Safe Commerce, which is sponsored jointly by Transportation and the Customs Service.

TSA also plans to award about $15 million in intercity bus-security grants. Eligible grant applicants include public and private bus operators and bus industry associations. "These grant programs will help [TSA] identify critical infrastructure, provide transit personnel [with] security training, harden our seaports, enhance vehicle tracking and driver protection, and increase security throughout the supply chain," Mineta said.