New Study Blasts DHS Container Scanning Process

From National Defense magazine:

A new study adds fuel to an ongoing dispute between Congress and the Department of Homeland Security. The issue: screening U.S.-bound shipping containers.

The report, sponsored by the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, contends that DHS’ cargo scanning process is grossly ineffective.

DHS said last year that it would not meet a 2012 deadline that was set by Congress to electronically screen all containers headed for the United States. Instead, it planned to collect more information about the boxes’ origin and content.

Under this system, only a fraction of the 11 million containers sent to the United States each year would be screened for nuclear or radiological material.

But Congress criticized the move, and accused DHS of making excuses for not meeting the deadline.