Port Security: Focus on the Great Lakes & District 9

SecurePort® 2009 Western Hemispheric Port Security Conference and Trade Exhibition comes to Detroit in June. The venue is appropriate in more ways than one. Based in Cleveland, OH, the U.S. Coast Guard’s 9th District jurisdiction extends to each of the five Great Lakes, as well as the St. Lawrence Seaway. The vast expanse of shoreline, water and critical trade routes is unique in many ways but the fact that the line of demarcation between domestic, state waters extends all the way to similar Canadian lines here creates a security situation unlike any other in the United States. How that job gets done is an interesting one in itself. The story also provides a unique backdrop for this year’s SecurePort® 2009 Western Hemispheric Port Security Conference and Trade Exhibition, slated to kick off in Detroit, MI on June 1st. Earlier this month, U.S. Coast Guard RDML Peter Neffenger shed some light on the challenges of running perhaps the most unique (and perhaps least understood) Coast Guard district in the country. Neffenger, the 9th District Commander, told MarEx, “A vessel traveling from Montreal to Duluth might cross the international boarder as many as 22 times in a single transit. Nowhere else do you have this situation.” He went to explain that the U.S. and Canadian economies are in reality much more integrated than that which takes place between the United States and Mexico. Beyond that, he says, “The security challenges on our southern and northern borders could not be more different.” Neffenger’s domain extends to more than just port security. Perhaps the hottest issue on the Great Lakes and in the St. Lawrence Seaway today is the effort to prevent the further spread of as many as 180 invasive species throughout the region. On this side of the border and in the continued absence of a federal standard to attack the problem, all eight U.S. states have passed or are contemplating measures to do just that. Many of these statutes are in conflict with one another and this has additionally raised fears in Canada that individual states are trying to regulate commerce on the international boundary. And, while that seemingly has little to do with port security, the Coast Guard relies heavily on the cooperation received from Canadian authorities in their effort to effectively protect the district. The sideshow battles do not help in all of that. Here in district 9, stopping the flow of contraband is probably at least as important as stopping invasive species and arguably rivals the importance of homeland security requirements. Neffenger says, “We have unique pilot programs here which allow us to follow contraband and additionally erase the border as a refuge for criminals. We strive to maintain the sovereignty of a border which is also exploitable and vulnerable.” Balancing the two goals is a delicate task. Today, Neffenger presides over the U.S. end of an innovative “ship rider” program which gives law enforcement officials from both sides the ability to have what he characterizes as “cross-border jurisdiction.” The pilot project, limited to U.S. Coast Guard and RCMP only thus far, has received high marks for its effectiveness and a more permanent agreement may well be reached between Canada and the United States in the near future. Without a doubt, and in the wake of 9/11, the common U.S. / Canadian border has gotten a lot more attention. With that heightened awareness also comes the welcome development of greater cooperation between the U.S. and its northern neighbor. In places like Detroit where as much as 40 percent of U.S. and Canadian commerce passes back and forth, the issues of security are even more critical. This particular area of the 9th District is also home to the two busiest border crossings between the two nations, as well as more than 350,000 recreational boaters in Wayne County alone. These unique variables include a water system that serves millions throughout Michigan. John Kerr of the Detroit/Wayne County Port authority told MarEx this week that, “This is an important time for Detroit. At this time, we are in the process of putting together our risk assessment for the port as we move from a Tier 3 to a Tier 2 port in terms of port security requirements.” Now overseeing a “highly strategic port,” Kerr and his colleagues are particularly keen to show just how important Detroit is to the overall supply chain and on June 1st, one of the busiest ports in the Great Lakes will have arguably the best possible platform to accomplish that goal. The invitation-only SecurePort® 2009 Western Hemispheric Port Security Conference and Trade Exhibition comes to Detroit and starts on June 1st. SecurePort® 2009 on the web: www.secureportamericas.com