A terrorist attack on the Houston Ship Channel would be catastrophic for the nation's energy sector, international trade and economy, witnesses testified during a congressional hearing Wednesday at the Port of Houston Authority.
As testimony was under way at the port's executive offices, a Government Accountability Office issued a report finding that the nation must take further measures to secure the maritime energy supply.
A similar report in 2007 made five recommendations to the U.S. Coast Guard and Federal Bureau of Investigation for enhancing energy tanker vessel security.
The 22-page report Wednesday said security has improved since then but recommended that the Coast Guard, the lead federal agency for maritime security, develop an updated list of offshore oil and natural gas facilities and examine security risks.
An attack on deep-water rigs and platforms could have consequences as serious as last year's deadly Deepwater Horizon explosion and oil spill, the report said.
Stephen Caldwell, director of maritime and Coast Guard issues for the GAO, was among witnesses before the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations and Management as it took testimony Wednesday at the Port of Houston, the nation's largest petrochemical complex.
Also at the hearing were U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Austin, chairman of the subcommittee; its ranking Democrat, Rep. William Keating of Massachusetts; and Democratic Reps. Gene Green and Sheila Jackson Lee of Houston.
"The Port of Houston is the energy capital of the United States, and it's a target- rich environment," McCaul said.
Because so much oil is imported to Houston and refined in the region, an attack along the channel "could cripple this nation," he said.
Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia detailed how local authorities work together to prevent such attacks by patrolling the waterways in boats and with cameras, sensors and radar. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has provided $30 million in grants for such security equipment.
Garcia said, however, that he needs more funding to hire deputies to work with the technology.
"At the end of the day, we need blood, sweat and tears to be able to monitor those systems," Garcia said.
Port Authority Chairman Jim Edmonds echoed that need for personnel.
A state law enacted in response to the 9/11 attacks created the Houston Ship Channel Security District, a public-private partnership to protect the commerce that moves along the Ship Channel and combat terrorism. The district comprises companies that tax themselves to pay for such safety gear as underwater remote operated vehicle, radiation detectors and patrol boats.
After the two-hour hearing Wednesday, McCall and Port Authority officials toured some of the Ship Channel aboard a Coast Guard vessel, observing parts of the Turning Basin Terminal and the sheriff's office boats that patrol the waterway.
The only obvious threat on Wednesday afternoon, however, was the heat.
By JENALIA MORENO, HOUSTON CHRONICLE
Source: www.chron.com
As testimony was under way at the port's executive offices, a Government Accountability Office issued a report finding that the nation must take further measures to secure the maritime energy supply.
A similar report in 2007 made five recommendations to the U.S. Coast Guard and Federal Bureau of Investigation for enhancing energy tanker vessel security.
The 22-page report Wednesday said security has improved since then but recommended that the Coast Guard, the lead federal agency for maritime security, develop an updated list of offshore oil and natural gas facilities and examine security risks.
An attack on deep-water rigs and platforms could have consequences as serious as last year's deadly Deepwater Horizon explosion and oil spill, the report said.
Stephen Caldwell, director of maritime and Coast Guard issues for the GAO, was among witnesses before the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations and Management as it took testimony Wednesday at the Port of Houston, the nation's largest petrochemical complex.
Also at the hearing were U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Austin, chairman of the subcommittee; its ranking Democrat, Rep. William Keating of Massachusetts; and Democratic Reps. Gene Green and Sheila Jackson Lee of Houston.
"The Port of Houston is the energy capital of the United States, and it's a target- rich environment," McCaul said.
Because so much oil is imported to Houston and refined in the region, an attack along the channel "could cripple this nation," he said.
Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia detailed how local authorities work together to prevent such attacks by patrolling the waterways in boats and with cameras, sensors and radar. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has provided $30 million in grants for such security equipment.
Garcia said, however, that he needs more funding to hire deputies to work with the technology.
"At the end of the day, we need blood, sweat and tears to be able to monitor those systems," Garcia said.
Port Authority Chairman Jim Edmonds echoed that need for personnel.
A state law enacted in response to the 9/11 attacks created the Houston Ship Channel Security District, a public-private partnership to protect the commerce that moves along the Ship Channel and combat terrorism. The district comprises companies that tax themselves to pay for such safety gear as underwater remote operated vehicle, radiation detectors and patrol boats.
After the two-hour hearing Wednesday, McCall and Port Authority officials toured some of the Ship Channel aboard a Coast Guard vessel, observing parts of the Turning Basin Terminal and the sheriff's office boats that patrol the waterway.
The only obvious threat on Wednesday afternoon, however, was the heat.
By JENALIA MORENO, HOUSTON CHRONICLE
Source: www.chron.com
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