Equipment for the multi-million dollar “Megaports” nuclear security initiative in Grand Bahama is due to arrive in the next 30 to 60 days, United States Embassy officials told The Tribune yesterday.
This announcement comes as the Department of Homeland Security yesterday released its porposal for the 2006 budget, listing an increase of $5.4 million over last year’s budget for the new Container Security Initiative (CSI), also known as “Megaports” bringing the budget request for the programme to a total of $138.8 million.
Michael Taylor, Chief Political, Economics and Public Relations Officer in the US Embassy, explained that Freeport had been chosen as a pilot for the new programme because it is among the 20 busiest ports in the world.
The Bahamas will be the first country in the Caribbean to use the new equipment for the detection of nuclear material.
The initiative was created by the US Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) and is aimed at stopping illicit shipments of nuclear and other radioactive material.
Robert Witajewski, Charge d’Affaires at the US Embassy and Ruth Millar, Financial Secretary at the Ministry of Finance, signed the co-operative agreement on behalf of bith their repsective governments.
Source: Karin Herig, The Tribune
