PortSecurityNews.com
Coast Guard Publishes Port-Related Notice in Register
3/26/2007 - portsecuritynews.com


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The U.S. Coast Guard last week (March 19) published a notice in the Federal Register setting forth the process to be followed by new hires working at port facilities and on maritime vessels in submitting personal information to get expedited temporary clearance.



Information such as names and social security numbers will be entered into the Coast Guard’s Homeport Web site and sent to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to be crossed-referenced with information on terrorist watch lists. Following that step, the Coast Guard can go back to the owners and operators and let them know if their new hires cleared the threat assessment or if more information is needed. If the threat assessments come back clean, a 30-day clearance is granted to the new employees for unescorted access to the facilities.



The workers during that 30-day period are supposed to sort out their eligibility for the Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) and obtain the needed access card. Under the SAFE Port Act adopted last year, the Department of Homeland Security is required to create a background check process enabling newly hired port and maritime employees to begin working as soon as possible. In other words, DHS is to expedite the process.



The expedited threat assessment is to become available today to port, shipping, and other related operations. This is also the day the entire TWIC rule goes into effect. However, TSA spokesman Darrin Kayser said that TWIC enrollment centers are not as yet up-and-running. He said that on-line enrollments and a schedule for on-site enrollments will become available in the coming weeks.



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