House lawmaker grills TSA chief over fielding airport screening technology

A powerful House lawmaker grilled the chief of the Transportation Security Administration at a hearing Thursday over the slow pace of developing and fielding new screening technology for the nation's airports.

"Our patience is over. This is it," Rep. Harold Rogers, R-Ky., chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security told TSA Administrator David Stone. "When are you going to get these machines into the airports?"

Stone said TSA will submit a plan to the subcommittee within 10 days, laying out a time frame for fielding next-generation explosives detection system machines to more airports.

Rogers noted that almost four years has passed since the 9/11 attacks, which is the same amount of time that the United States fought and won World War II. Yet TSA has not been able to get new EDS machines out to more airports, he said.

"How can you defend that?" he asked. "Would you admit that that's an absolute utter failure?"

Stone said TSA recently certified a new EDS machine developed by Reveal Technologies of Bedford, Mass. TSA plans to buy eight of the CT-80 machines for operational testing at three airports within the next several months.

"This machine is smaller, less costly and more compact, making it more appropriate for use in limited space and smaller airports where baggage throughput is lower and larger EDS machines are not practical," Stone said in written testimony to the subcommittee.

He added that the machines are also expected to reduce staffing requirements and minimize passenger wait times.

TSA also is testing an upgrade to the in-line EDS machines now used at airports, Stone said. "This upgrade will increase throughput capacity, reduce alarm rates and significantly enhance the image quality presented to our screeners," he said.

Rogers said he is also concerned about transferring TSA's research and development activities to the Homeland Security Department's Science and Technology Directorate. The department's fiscal 2006 budget proposes the transfer.

"It is unclear if any of the ongoing air cargo research and development activities that Congress has directed you to aggressively pursue over the last two years will be continuing," Rogers told Stone. "These new technologies are how we will be able to screen all types of cargo, including pallets and containers carried on aircraft, for explosives and other devices."