19 October 2006

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• What is the Megaports Initiative and which are
  its objectives?
•  
• The Megaports Initiative is a project of the
  National Nuclear Security Administration
  (N.N.S.A.), a division of the U.S. Department of
  Energy. 
•   On November 24th, 2004 Belgium and the United
  States signed a Memorandum of Understanding. The
  port of Antwerp is the first Belgian port to
  implement the MPI. This does however not exclude
  the implementation of MPI in other Belgian ports.
• The main goal of the project is to inspect the
  container cargo in the largest seaports
  (Megaports) and to detect the illicit
  trafficking in radioactive and nuclear material
  in order to deter possible terrorist actions and
  to obtain information about terrorist networks.
• For the United States, the Megaports Initiative
  project in the port of Antwerp has been the most
  important MPI project so far.

• 19 October 2006

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• How to achieve this goal?
• All containers have to be inspected by means of
  radiation portal monitors. The container proceeds
  through the portal. Detectors in the portal
  monitors measure the Gamma and Neutron radiation
  of the containers passing through.
• The port of Antwerp is a vast area and has
  dozens of entrances. Moreover these entrances
  are also used for non-port-related traffic (f.i.
  staff of the chemical and car assembly industry).
  All connections with the hinterland are
  congested. Putting fences around the port and
  installing portal monitors at all entrances and
  exits is unrealistic.
• The port of Antwerp has 10 container terminals.
  Therefore all entrances and exits (both for road
  transport as for rail transport) of these
  terminals need to be equipped with portal
  monitors. Containers transported by barge will be
  checked by the portal monitors on the terminals
  themselves.

• 19 October 2006

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• How to achieve this goal ?
• There are several portal monitors per terminal.
• On each terminal the portal monitors are
  connected with a Local Alarm System (LAS). This
  station is situated at the exit (gate-out) of
  each terminal.
• Secondly all terminals of the port are (by means
  of a special optical fibre backbone) connected
  with a Central Alarm Station (CAS). There are two
  Central Alarm Stations one at the Left Bank
  (located at the future border inspection post)
  for all Left Bank terminals and one at the
  Right Bank (located at the scan site near the
  Tijsmanstunnel) for all Right Bank terminals .

• 19 October 2006

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• Who is responsible for the project?
• U.S. Government is responsible for the purchase
  and the installation of the material. US
  Government also takes care of the maintenance of
  the material and the training of the Belgian
  staff.
• By material we mean the portal monitors, all
  hardware and software, the handheld equipment
  Once the test phase is finished and the temporary
  acceptance has been signed, all material becomes
  property of the Belgian Government.
• Until now the U.S. Government has invested 40
  million dollar in the Antwerp project
• Belgian Government pays VAT and other taxes on
  the construction works. This is a onetime cost of
  several million euro. About one hundred customs
  officers will work exclusively on the Megaports
  Initiative project. The Belgian FPS Finance
  leases an optical fibre backbone for the
  connection between all portal monitors and the
  two Central Alarm Stations. This will cost about
  250.000 Euro per year. 

• 19 October 2006

5
4. The port of Antwerp
6
5. What happens when a container generates an
alarm? Phase 1 The portal monitor raises an
alarm The technical measuring data and the video
images of the containers are immediately
transmitted to the CAS through the optical fibre
network. The terminal operator is informed
electronically of the non-release of the
container, awaiting a decision of the CAS. On
the basis of a radiation profile and requested
information on the consignment, the CAS will
either resolve the alarm or proceed to a second
inspection. The alarm rates are expected to be 5
to 10 of all trucks in Phase 1. If the alarm
is not resolved, Phase 2 becomes effective. Phase
2 The container is inspected by CAS personnel
from the outside by means of handheld equipment
allowing customs authorities to obtain more
information on the exact location and the nature
of the substances generating radiation. These
officials will decide either to release the
container, either to call upon the assistance of
an approved organisation. Approximately 2 to 5
of the Phase 1 alarms will require a Phase 2
inspection. Phase 3 The container is
transferred to the CAS. The CAS is equipped with
the necessary facilities for unloading and
loading of goods. Checks are performed by an
acknowledged expert. A container can, in
exceptional cases and at the request of the
Belgian FANC, be isolated on the spot. The amount
of Phase 3 checks is estimated at a couple of
dozens a year.