Officials Seek New Place to Inspect Suspicious Cargo

LA Times/Yahoo ^ | 12/02/03 | Deborah Schoch

[Pro-Bush]

Officials Seek New Place to Inspect Suspicious Cargo Tue Dec 2,11:35 AM ET Add Local - Los Angeles Times to My Yahoo!

By Deborah Schoch

When an incoming cargo container sparks the interest of federal security inspectors at the Los Angeles-Long Beach seaport complex, that container more often than not is trucked to a warehouse in Carson to be searched by hand.

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Federal security officials, unhappy with that route, want a proposed first-of-its-kind inspection center to be built close to where ships unload.

"We really don't want containers traveling through residential neighborhoods if we can control it," said Vera Adams, ports director for the U.S. Bureau of Customs and Border Protection. "Our preference is that the site be located as close as possible to the point of discharge from the ships. If that could happen, we would be very pleased."

At the Port of Los Angeles, which is leading the search for a site, port managers will not say what locations are being considered. Citing security concerns, they will not make public a new $1-million project feasibility study. Nor will they say when, or if, a list of proposed sites will be made public so that residents can review them.

[Consort]

Inspection stations should be located adjacent to certain Mid-East country embassies.

[newgeezer]

Federal security officials, unhappy with that route, want a proposed first-of-its-kind inspection center to be built close to where ships unload.

Yeah, a beachfront office would be nice.

[GeoPie]

I import a lot of tyres from the Middle East. Everytime they pull one of these containers to inspect, I get billed a minimum of $500.00 plus storage charges, plus an unloading and a loading fee. It can really get expensive...So I am obviously all for building a station closer to the port (as long as it's not a palace like our local city council building over here). We need a safer and more effective way of going through our ocean ports.

[Pro-Bush]

Well I am glad they inspect those containers from the Middle East....Sorry you have to pay $500.00+ each time.

I can see why you a for this.

[newgeezer]

I get billed a minimum of $500.00 plus storage charges, plus an unloading and a loading fee. It can really get expensive...So I am obviously all for building a station closer to the port (as long as it's not a palace like our local city council building over here).

I'd be very surprised if you would see a reduction in cost as a result of this action.

[GeoPie]

Sadly, you are probably right. The other sad thing is, it will probably not make things any more secure. Our ports are a huge problem when it comes to security. There are no easy answers for this one.

[B4Ranch]

Suggest they use a BARGE for inspecting anything suspicious. Obvious advantages