11.29.05

Cantwell’s Ferry Security Measures Clear Important Hurdle

Legislation calls for security screening of passengers and vehicles before ferries depart Canada for Washington ports

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) applauded the Senate Commerce Committee’s approval of her legislation to dramatically improve security on Washington state ferries. Currently, ferries leaving Canada for the U.S. are screened only after they arrive at U.S. ports, presenting a serious risk to other passengers while in transit and to population centers along Washington’s shoreline.

"Current procedures mean that almost one hundred thousand cars and hundreds of thousands of passengers enter Washington state unscreened on these ferries each year," said Cantwell, a member of the Senate Commerce Committee. "We don’t let passengers board airplanes without being screened first. It makes no sense to let vehicles, passengers, and cargo from Canada disembark on U.S. soil before being screened just because they arrive by water. We have to do a better job ensuring the safety of ferry passengers with good, common sense measures."

Cantwell’s amendment, included in the Transportation Security Improvement Act, would improve ferry security by directing the Departments of Homeland Security and State to develop a plan to inspect passengers and vehicles on each U.S.-bound ferry before the ferry departs from Canada. The Washington state ferry system currently serves 26 million riders and 11 million vehicles annually.

At present, security screenings take place when passengers and vehicles traveling from Canada disembark at ports in the U.S. For example, security screenings of passengers and vehicles traveling from Sidney, B.C. to Anacortes, WA occur in Anacortes, even though ferries stop in Friday Harbor, WA along the way. The current policy of conducting security screenings in the United States presents a serious security gap as ferries are most vulnerable during transit. Failing to screen during loading puts vessels at risk for hijacking to use to deliver explosives or weapons of mass destruction to the Port of Seattle or other densely populated areas.

A second Cantwell-sponsored amendment included in the Transportation Security Improvement Act would make state ferry systems eligible to receive research and development grants from the Transportation Security Administration for maritime security.

The Transportation Security Improvement Act, expected to pass Congress next year, strengthens current laws governing transportation security, and authorizes approximately $6.5 billion annually to improve the security of America’s transportation systems. Cantwell is an original cosponsor of the Transportation Security Improvement Act.