Hong Kong to scan US-bound cargo for radiation
The United States and Hong Kong have arranged to co-operate on the Secure Freight Initiative, a joint effort of the Department of Homeland Security's US Customs and Border Protection and the Departments of Energy (National Nuclear Security Administration) and State, aimed at keeping radioactive weapons out of US-bound cargo.
Hong Kong is part of the second group of international ports evaluating integrated cargo radiation detection and non-intrusive imaging capabilities in Phase 1 of the Secure Freight Initiative, also known as the International Container Security project.
Operational testing of Secure Freight Initiative equipment began at Port Qasim, Pakistan on March 31, 2007, and on April 2, 2007 at Puerto Cortes, Honduras. Testing at the port of Southampton in the United Kingdom is expected to begin later this year.
The second group of ports, which will provide radiation detection and imaging capabilities on a limited capacity basis beyond that required by the SAFE Port Act, include Singapore's Brani terminal; the Gamman terminal at Busan, Korea; and Oman's Port Salalah. These facilities, along with Hong Kong, were chosen to help determine the impact of radiation scanning at large volume ports, as well as at ports where a large number of transhipments are processed.
At Hong Kong, as in other ports, data from Secure Freight Initiative scanning and imaging equipment will be provided in near-real time to CBP officials on-site and at the National Targeting Centre in the United States for analysis and automatic integration with US systems.
Hong Kong is part of the second group of international ports evaluating integrated cargo radiation detection and non-intrusive imaging capabilities in Phase 1 of the Secure Freight Initiative, also known as the International Container Security project.
Operational testing of Secure Freight Initiative equipment began at Port Qasim, Pakistan on March 31, 2007, and on April 2, 2007 at Puerto Cortes, Honduras. Testing at the port of Southampton in the United Kingdom is expected to begin later this year.
The second group of ports, which will provide radiation detection and imaging capabilities on a limited capacity basis beyond that required by the SAFE Port Act, include Singapore's Brani terminal; the Gamman terminal at Busan, Korea; and Oman's Port Salalah. These facilities, along with Hong Kong, were chosen to help determine the impact of radiation scanning at large volume ports, as well as at ports where a large number of transhipments are processed.
At Hong Kong, as in other ports, data from Secure Freight Initiative scanning and imaging equipment will be provided in near-real time to CBP officials on-site and at the National Targeting Centre in the United States for analysis and automatic integration with US systems.