The new system is able to inspect cargo that current X-rays cannot reach through what is known as muon technology, which is more deeply penetrating than X-ray technology, thus helping to prevent a terrorist from smuggling explosives into a New Jersey port and setting them off in one of the nation’s most densely populated areas.
“The name of the game is making sure that it’s not only fentanyl but it’s a dirty bomb that doesn’t get through our ports,” said Rep. Lou Correa, D- Calif., a member of the House Homeland Security Committee who has advocated for the new technology. “It’s about having a system that you have a relatively high sense of confidence that what you’re letting in is good for this country. That’s what this technology is about.”
After a test of the system, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in 2021 that it would buy and install the equipment, including in Port Newark. But nothing has happened since.
“This is technology that’s valuable,” said Patrick Wright, a spokesman for New Jersey Rep. Donald Payne Jr., a member of the Homeland Security Committee who has pushed the agency to install the equipment at Port of Newark. “We think it’s important to help the speed and safety of all the cargo coming into the Port of Newark.”
U.S. Custom and Border Protection spokeswoman Rhonda Lawson said the agency was continuing to review the technology and any possible benefits.
“CBP’s operational requirements can vary by port, and not all technology systems can meet the varying demands,” Lawson said. “The technology in question, which was tested by CBP, involved a very specific scanning technology used for two types of commercial cargo. The technology requires in-ground installation with expansive building enclosure requirements for safety and truck navigation and is best used for very specific, and limited types of cargo.”
Wright said agency officials told Payne’s office that they didn’t have the money or the staff to buy and install the new equipment.
But Correa said the agency should be asking Congress to provide the funding.
“Come and talk to us and we’ll work on the budget, but you can’t tell me just we can’t afford it because long term it saves you,” said Correa, who pushed Customs and Border Protection as recently as late September to move ahead with installing the new equipment.
Patrick Simmons, a senior vice president at Decision Systems, the San Diego-based company that makes the equipment, suggested that the agency was reluctant to try something new. Simmons spent almost a decade with Customs and Border Protection as director of the Office of Non-Intrusive Inspection and Radiation Detection.
“The government is afraid to do anything different,” Simmons said. “What often happens is if they feel something works, why fix it? In this case, our system brings to light a very big gap.”
X-rays can’t penetrate dense cargo such as engine parts or concrete, making it the perfect hiding place for weapons or drugs, he said. The new technology could be used in conjunction with existing X-ray devices to enhance screening, he said.
That’s the view of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
“As the Port of New York and New Jersey ranks as the nation’s busiest container port for a third consecutive month, it’s vital that CBP has the proper resources – including the latest technology – to adequately screen and inspect cargo before it enters commerce,” spokesman Tom Pietrykoski said. “.We look forward to continue working with our federal, state, and local partners to ensure the security of our port facilities and the supply chain that moves through them.”
In a letter last year to Payne, Rep. Albio Sires, D-8th Dist. and New Jersey U.S. Sens. Cory Booker and Robert Menendez, agency officials sought their help in getting funding for the new equipment.
“Given the sheer volume of cargo at our port facilities alone, we believe that deploying state-of-the-art scanning systems that utilize muon technology will greatly support CBP in safely and efficiently conducting a secondary scan of containerized cargo that is naturally dense and/or densely packed,” the letter said.
Simmons said he was pushing Congress to add funding to buy the equipment, perhaps even in the upcoming bill to fund the government past Dec. 16.
“If you use the systems CBP currently has in inventory and add ours to the back end, you’d make a significant difference in closing that gap,” Simmons said. “We want lawmakers to tell CBP to deploy this and provide the money to do this.”
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