DHS extends final TWIC implementation

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said Friday it is extending the deadline by seven months for mariners, port workers and other personnel to obtain an identification card for access to secure areas of port.

The government will now require persons needing unescorted port access to obtain their Transportation Worker Identification Credential by April 15, 2009, rather than Sept. 25 of this year.

However, ports in Boston and New England will be required to comply by Oct. 15, 2008 because they have had success enrolling most of the population of transportation workers in their areas. Other ports are on track to complete enrollment by the end of this year and will be required to implement the TWIC regulations, DHS said.

Implementation dates for those port districts will be released at a later date.

The TWIC program is progressing steadily and has opened more than 100 fixed enrollment centers and dozens of mobile sites nationwide. More than 250,000 workers have enrolled to date and thousands more are processed each week. Enrollment began at the Port of Wilmington, Del. in October 2007. 

Source: American Shipper