@Risk

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has made progress in mitigating the threat of nuclear and radiological weapons in maritime cargo containers, but the agency needs to do more to address the threats posed by biological and chemical weapons, according to a new report from the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General.

The 19-page report, “CBP’s Ability to Detect Biological and Chemical Threats in Maritime Cargo Containers,” reviews current policy and initiatives, and it concludes that CBP should:

• Conduct a formal risk assessment to determine which pathways pose the highest risk of biological and chemical weapons entering the U.S.

• Update and codify its policies and procedures for inspecting cargo containers for biological and chemical threats.

In 2008, some 11 million cargo containers arrived at the nation’s seaports.  Obviously, given this scale and complexity, there is no “silver bullet” for cargo security. However, a comprehensive risk assessment is certainly a critical first step. CBP agrees, and according to the report, a risk assessment for biological and chemical weapons at U.S. ports will be complete by August 31, 2010. CBP is also currently developing an updated training module for its officers that would include different types of inspections/examinations.

For more about recent changes in port security, see this earlier post.