DHS Announces $445 Million to Secure Critical Infrastructure

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released fiscal year 2007 grant guidance and application kits for five grant programs that will total roughly $445 million in funding for state, local and private industry infrastructure protection initiatives. These five programs comprise the Infrastructure Protection Program (IPP), which to date have provided more than $1.5 billion in grants to strengthen security at critical facilities ranging from chemical plants to mass transit systems and seaports.

“We’re investing resources where risk is greatest and where the funds will have the most significant impact,” said Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff. “This year’s grants reflect a rigorous, disciplined approach that places risk first, driven by hard analysis from the intelligence community and supported by common sense.”

IPP fiscal year 2007 funding totals have increased by $46 million over last year. Specific totals include:

• Port Security Grant Program: $201.2 million
• Transit Security Grant Program: $171.8 million
• Buffer Zone Protection Program: $48.5 million
• Intercity Bus Security Grant Program: $11.6 million
• Trucking Security Grant Program: $11.6 million

Port Security Grants

Eight port areas qualify for Tier I, or highest risk status, in fiscal year 2007. They will receive a combined total of $120 million, or roughly 60 percent of total Port Security Grant Program funding this year. The remaining U.S. ports are included within three additional risk tiers, and will compete for the additional 40 percent of available funds. Grant funding priorities include training, exercises, activities to mitigate the risk of improvised explosive devices, and employee credentials and access controls.

Tier I Port Security Grant Program areas are:

• New York-New Jersey: $27.1 million
• New Orleans: $17.3 million
• Houston-Galveston: $15.7 million
• Los Angeles-Long Beach: $14.7 million
• Puget Sound (Seattle-Tacoma area): $12.2 million
• Delaware Bay (Philadelphia, Wilmington, Del., and Southern New Jersey): $11.3 million
• San Francisco Bay: $11.2 million
• Sabine-Neches River (Port Arthur-Beaumont, Texas): $10.9 million

Transit Security Grants

Eight major urban areas qualify for Tier I, or highest risk status, in fiscal year 2007. They will receive a combined total of $141 million, or roughly 90 percent of total Transit Security Grant funding available for rail and bus systems this year. Grant funding priorities include securing underground and underwater systems, reducing the risks of improvised explosive devices and radiological, chemical and biological weapons, as well as training, exercises and public awareness campaigns.

Transit Security Tier I major urban areas are:

• New York-Connecticut-New Jersey: $61 million
• National Capital Region: $18.2 million
• Boston: $15.3 million
• San Francisco Bay Area: $13.8 million
• Chicago: $12.8 million
• Philadelphia: $9.7 million
• Greater Los Angeles: $7 million
• Atlanta: $3.4 million

In addition, Amtrak will receive $8 million under the Transit Security Grants Program to enhance intercity passenger rail security initiatives and to coordinate efforts with local and regional transit systems.

For the first time, Transit Security Grants will provide award recipients the flexibility to decide where they can better focus their resources. In the past, these awards were allocated in specific amounts for rail and separate amounts for bus.

Transit Security Grants will further fund enhanced security for 19 ferry systems in 14 regions. Those systems and eligible award amounts are:

• Seattle: $2,400,603
• New York-New Jersey: $1,532,903
• Houston: $599,793
• San Francisco Bay Area: $586,714
• North Carolina: $429,685
• Connecticut-New York: $414,350
• Boston: $400,960
• Alaska-Washington: $352,040
• New Orleans: $325,000
• Martha’s Vineyard, Mass.: $274,120
• Jamestown, Va.: $235,444
• Delaware-New Jersey: $155,807
• Greater Los Angeles: $122,581

IPP grant guidance was also announced today for the Intercity Bus Security Grant Program, $11.6 million; the Trucking Security Grant Program, $11.6 million; and the Buffer Zone Protection Program, $48.5 million; supporting effective critical infrastructure security investments at the state and local level.

DHS has refined its grants programs over the past year to increase transparency and provide a more streamlined and interactive application process. The department expects to award IPP grants in spring 2007.