High-tech customs tools will strengthen security at the Port of Halifax
May 15, 2002
Halifax, May 15, 2002... Elinor Caplan, Minister of National Revenue, and Alan R. Abraham Jr., Chairman of the Halifax Port Authority, said today that a major investment in new technology by the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency (CCRA) will significantly enhance Halifax's reputation as one of North America's most secure and efficient seaports.
Speaking this morning at the national historic site of Pier 21, Minister Caplan said the CCRA will invest a total of $3.6 million in new customs inspection tools for Halifax this year.
In making the statement, Minister Caplan paid tribute to the Halifax Port Authority for taking a leadership role in enhancing the safety and security of the Port of Halifax.
"The Halifax Port Authority deserves credit for building strong partnerships with industry, with the community, with law enforcement, and with all levels of government to ensure that the Port of Halifax is open for business but closed to terrorists, to smugglers, and to criminals of all kinds," said Minister Caplan.
Among the tools the CCRA is acquiring for Halifax is a state-of-the-art, high-energy mobile inspection system, which will greatly enhance the ability of customs inspectors to examine whole containers and other large masses of cargo quickly and safely. The Cobalt-60 energy source used by this unit provides a significantly higher level of penetration than traditional X-ray equipment now in use by Canadian customs across Canada. The truck-mounted system, which can be moved to wherever cargo is being unloaded or stored, is expected to be operational in Halifax by the end of the summer.
Other equipment being supplied to Halifax this year will include:
- a new high-energy stationary cargo-inspection system for the container inspection facility;
- a new low-energy "scan trailer" mobile X-ray system;
- a new roll-in baggage X-ray system for Halifax International Airport;
- a new ion mobility spectrometer to detect trace narcotics; and
- electronic dosimeters to identify and protect against radiation exposure.
"Security continues to be a top priority at the Port of Halifax," said Mr. Abraham. "This new technology will further enhance the reputation of our port as a safe, commercially viable, and dependable place to do business."
These investments re-affirm the Government of Canada's $7.7 billion commitment to ensuring the safety and security of Canadians, which was outlined in the December 2001 budget. A total of $433 million was allocated to the CCRA as part of a five-year security package.
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