Levin, Stabenow Hail Senate Passage of Provisions to Enhance Safety at Our Borders

Levin, Stabenow Hail Senate Passage of Provisions to Enhance Safety at Our Borders

Canadian trash shipments would be halted until Homeland Security Department can certify they are safe

Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., and Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich, hailed Senate passage of two provisions that aim to enhance safety and security at the nation's international borders. One provision would prohibit vehicles carrying Canadian trash from entering the country until the Secretary of Homeland Security certifies that the methods and technology used to inspect the vehicles for potential threats are as efficient as the methods used to inspect other vehicles, and the other provision would create interoperable communication demonstration projects at the borders to help emergency personnel - police officers, firefighters, medical technicians, and others - communicate with one another during emergencies.

"Our borders are front lines in the war on terrorism," the senators said. "We can do a lot to protect our cities and communities by keeping our borders safe and secure, but we need to make sure that are border agents and emergency personnel have the resources they need to do their jobs. The provisions that were included in the Homeland Security Appropriations bill will help to address the needs of our border personnel by providing grants to improve communications between emergency workers and by ensuring that border personnel have the equipment and technology they need to effectively inspect vehicles carrying Canadian trash into Michigan."

Sen. Levin, a senior member of Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee in the Senate, included the provisions in an amendment by Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Joe Lieberman, D-Conn. Details follow:

* Inspection of Municipal Waste Vehicles. This provision helps to ensure the effective screening for weapons of mass destruction in shipments of solid municipal waste. It would require the Secretary of Homeland Security to deny entry of any commercial motor vehicle carrying municipal solid waste from Canada until the Secretary certifies that the methods and technology used to inspect the vehicles for potential weapons of mass destruction as well as biological, chemical and nuclear materials, are as efficient as the methods and technology used to inspect other commercial vehicles. Each month, thousands of trucks with solid municipal waste enter the United States for disposal in U.S. landfills, and the large size and dense character of these shipments make them potential conduits for smuggling dangerous contraband into our country.

* Interoperable communications demonstration projects. This provision requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish at least six International Border Community Interoperable Communications Demonstration Projects - no fewer than three at the northern border and no fewer than three at the southern border - to address the communication needs of police officers, firefighters, emergency medical technicians, National Guard, and other emergency response providers.

http://levin.senate.gov/newsroom/release.cfm?id=240536