PHA Successfully Implements Transportation Worker Identification Credential Program.

The Port of Houston Authority successfully implemented the federal Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) on April 14, the compliance deadline for the U.S. Houston-Galveston sector. In fact, two PHA facilities, Care and Barbours Cut terminals, were spot-inspected by U.S. Coast Guard and found to have no deficiencies.

The TWIC program aims to ensure that individuals who pose a threat do not gain unescorted access to secure areas of the nation's maritime transportation system. Anyone needing unescorted access to secure areas of the Port of Houston Authority, as well as any federally regulated facility along the Houston Ship Channel, must either have a TWIC card or be escorted while on the property.

“The Port of Houston Authority (PHA) has worked diligently over the last few years preparing for TWIC's implementation and I am pleased to report that the process is proceeding smoothly,” says Wade M. Battles, PHA acting executive director. “We will also continue to work with the U.S. Coast Guard to address any challenges and issues associated with the startup of this program.”

The purpose of the TWIC program is to increase security at U.S. seaports by providing a common identification credential for transportation workers. Anyone applying for a TWIC card must pass a threat assessment.

The TWIC is a “smart card,” which contains the worker’s name, photo and biometric information (fingerprint template). To obtain a TWIC, an individual must successfully pass a security threat assessment conducted by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), which looks at criminal background, immigrant status, terrorist watch list screening as well as mental capacity. It takes an average of 21 days from application to receive the credential.

"Ensuring a safe and secure port is a top priority of the Port of Houston Authority,” says Battles. "And as part of that effort, we support the TWIC program. It is a needed credential to improve the security of MTSA (Maritime Transportation Security Act) facilities by providing individual background checks and a tamper-resistant identity credential.”

Individuals who are required to have a TWIC include certain PHA employees, longshoremen, truckers, steamship lines personnel, stevedores and vendors. Nationwide, nearly one million individuals have already enrolled in TWIC. Nearly 300,000 people are required to have a TWIC card in the Houston region.

A list of permanent enrollment centers may be found at www.tsa.gov/twic and applicants are encouraged to pre-enroll online. Required identification includes one government-issued photo ID, such as an unexpired passport or unexpired permanent resident card, or two other types of documents, such as a driver’s license, a U.S. social security card, expired U.S. passport or birth certificate. TSA notifies applicants who receive a “Determination of No Security Threat” when the TWIC is ready for pickup.

A TWIC will be required for unescorted access throughout PHA’s Barbours Cut and Bayport container terminals. A TWIC will also be required for such access to the waterfront areas of PHA’s Turning Basin terminal (that is, all areas located on the waterfront side of the fence separating the upper and lower levels) and such other areas designated as “restricted” or “secured.”

The Coast Guard will conduct checks using handheld card readers to confirm the identity of TWIC holders during regular inspections and unannounced spot checks.

The U.S. Coast Guard has also granted a grace period until May 13, 2009, for people who have applied for TWIC, but are still waiting to receive their card. If an individual can provide proof that they have applied and it can be verified that they have passed the required security threat assessment, that person may be granted unescorted access during the grace period. Those individuals for whom that situation applies and who need access to PHA facilities should contact the Port Security & Emergency Operations Department at (713) 670-3600.