Charleston, SC - The South Carolina State Ports Authority (SCSPA) was selected to receive $3.7 million in the latest round of Port Security Grants (PSG), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced Thursday.
In the previous six grant rounds, the SCSPA received more than $20 million, bringing total announced security grant funding to $23.8 million. The SCSPA has used previous PSG funding for physical security measures such as CCTV surveillance, perimeter security and access control systems.
"Port security is a top priority for the South Carolina State Ports Authority, so we're naturally very pleased with this latest announcement," said Bernard S. Groseclose Jr., president and chief executive officer of the SCSPA. "We're also thankful for the South Carolina Congressional delegation's steadfast support for appropriate security measures and additional funding," said Groseclose.
The Charleston port area has been the leading grant recipient in Tier II since inception of the PSG program, with grant awards totaling more than $33 million. Nationally, only four port areas (Los Angeles/Long Beach, New York/New Jersey, Houston and Seattle) have received more PSG funding than the Charleston port area.
In this latest round, more than $202 million in federal Port Security Grants were awarded to 183 public and private entities nationwide. Charleston was classified as a Tier II port area and received approximately 10 percent of the total announced for Tier II ports. In its latest application, the SCSPA requested $12.6 million in federal funds for port security projects to combine with a match of $3.15 million.
The complete DHS press release and listing of awards is available online at www.dhs.gov.