January 09, 2009
Baton Rouge
– The deadline for
most Louisiana workers
to get their
Transportation Worker
Identification
Credential (TWIC) is
Tuesday, January 13,
2009. TWICs are tamper-resistent
credentials containing a
worker’s fingerprint and
photo. The individual
must also pass a
security threat
assessment conducted by
the Transportation
Security Administration
(TSA). The card costs
$132.50 and is valid for
five years.
Workers who require
unescorted access to
secure areas of ports,
vessels and some other
maritime related
critical infrastructure
facilities and all
credentialed merchant
mariners must obtain a
TWIC. The TWIC program
was established by the
Department of Homeland
Security to prevent
terrorism activity.
Saturday, January 10,
2009 hours are 7:00 a.m.
– 5:00 p.m. at the Baton
Rouge locations. Those
Baton Rouge locations
are the Safety Council
and Courtyard by
Marriott on Siegen Lane.
The New Orleans location
is open from 8:00 a.m. –
5:00 p.m. at 170 East
James Drive in St. Rose,
LA.
Enrollment Centers:
-
January 13, 2009 marks
the deadline for Morgan
City, New Orleans, and
the Upper Mississippi
River ports. The Lake
Charles deadline is set
for April 14, 2009.
-
At this time, there are
nine fixed TWIC
enrollment centers in
Louisiana. There are 163
fixed TWIC enrollment
centers nationwide for
public access.
-
In addition to the fixed
sites, individual
companies or
organizations may
request on-site,
temporary mobile sites
to enroll their own
employees or members
thereby avoiding
individual trips to a
fixed enrollment center.
The hosting company or
organization is
responsible for
providing personnel to
staff the enrollment
site.
Escort Provision:
For those who do not
meet the deadline, they
must be escorted by a
TWIC holder. There must
also be continuous
physical proximity to
and/or visual contact
with the escorted
individual to witness
that individual’s
actions.
Penalties for
non-compliance with TWIC:
Penalties for
non-compliance include a
warning letter;
inspection, delay, or
detention of a vessel;
restriction of vessel or
facility operations;
suspension of facility
operations or fines
ranging from $500 to
$25,000 per violation.
On January 25, 2007, the
Department of Homeland
Security (DHS), through
the
Transportation
Security Administration
(TSA) and the United
States Coast Guard,
issued a ruling to
implement these
regulations. TWIC was
established by Congress
through the Maritime
Transportation Security
Act (MTSA) and the
Security and
Accountability for Every
Port Act of 2006 (SAFE
Port Act).
Media Contacts:
Veronica
Mosgrove, GOHSEP
225-573-3718 /
225-358-5667
vmosgrove@OHSEP.louisiana.gov
