Rail and Water or Maritime Transport Could Essay

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Rail and water or maritime transport could be said to be a better protector of the environment compared to road and air modes of transportation, due mainly to the amount of fuel used or burned per ton of cargo moved. Also, water or ocean vessels can provide a very diverse form of intermodal transport. Container ships have huge capacities given the standardized containers, and the larger ships being constructed today. There has been a significant amount of press coverage about ocean or water transport as being a safe mode of moving freight into the U.S. port systems. Reporters have been probing experts about the safety of our sea ports. So, you, as an expert, are to address this issue now. Your question is, "What are the challenges at these ports from a national security viewpoint? "

There are many challenges at America's seaports, specifically security related. Sea ports, unlike roads and rail, are open to outside vessels and travelers. National security entities work hard to ensure safe port operations. The U.S. uses private security contractors as well as the Department of Homeland Security resources. The threat of outside terrorist attacks grows as ports row larger and become a larger part of the global transportation infrastructure. Threats such as attack from other vessels and attacks on port structures themselves exist as well. One of the largest challenges faced by these ports in terms of security is the sheer size of the ports themselves.

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Each port is unique, and exists as a vulnerable part of many nations' supply chains. These ports have grown so large as to become nearly impossible to patrol and monitor effectively without hiring teams of private security contractors.

Since ports and port operators are concerned with both port safety and efficiency, they often have to strike a balance between what they can accomplish in terms of patrols and screenings and the time it takes to berth vessels and make sure their paperwork and itineraries are up-to-date. This represents another security concern for port managers, since vessels are often in a hurry to move to and from the port itself.

Another major consideration for port security exists with the number of cargo containers and items that move to and from the port each day. It is very expensive and time consuming to have to screen each container, and while automated solutions do exist, these solutions often do not represent the most effective form of security for containers and cargo moving to and from the port......

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"Rail And Water Or Maritime Transport Could" (2010, September 14) Retrieved May 19, 2024, from
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"Rail And Water Or Maritime Transport Could" 14 September 2010. Web.19 May. 2024. <
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"Rail And Water Or Maritime Transport Could", 14 September 2010, Accessed.19 May. 2024,
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/rail-water-maritime-transport-122876
   

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