Small port facilities miss anti-terrorism deadline

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NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (AP) -- Smaller port facilities such as coal terminals and scrap yards in the Hampton Roads area did not meet a Dec. 31 deadline to outline their antiterrorism efforts, but the big marine terminals have complied, the Coast Guard and port officials said.

The Virginia Port Authority, the state agency that runs the Norfolk International Terminals, Newport News Marine Terminal and Portsmouth Marine Terminal, hand-delivered a huge package to the Norfolk Coast Guard office on the Dec. 31 deadline, said Bob Merhige, the authority's deputy executive director and head of security.

Northrop Grumman Newport News also submitted its security plan on time, company spokeswoman Jerri Fuller Dickseski said.

But dozens of smaller marine terminals did not comply, as was the case nationally, the Coast Guard said. Fines of up to $25,000 can be assessed on ports that do not comply with the federal request for detailed security plans.

"With our follow-up with the waterfront facilities, it does not appear we're anywhere close to the 100 percent level," said Jeff Keever, executive vice president of the Hampton Roads Maritime Association.

"Many of the operators might feel their facilities are not vulnerable. But the legislation and the regulations require that they comply, and we would urge them to do so," Mr. Keever told the Newport News Daily Press.

Ben Ellis, a security expert, estimated that only between one-third and one-half of the more than 65 port sites in Hampton Roads met the Dec. 31 requirement.

"They have never been under the purview of the Coast Guard for anything, and so many of them didn't pay attention to the announcements," Mr. Ellis said. "The seaport industry does not have a big profit margin, and a lot of them hadn't programmed their budgets for this type of stuff."

Charlie Brinley, president of Dominion Terminal Associates, said the plan that he submitted would require less than $20,000 worth of improvements to his piers. More than that, he said, would be tough to swallow.

The Coast Guard and a national consulting firm, Black & Veatch, will review the security plans over the next several months and make changes. Each terminal is supposed to have new security systems up and running by July 1.