VeriTainer

One word makes all the difference
Posted online: Tuesday, August 24, 2010

One small word in a new US Bill – the word “or” – could put passive scanning companies in a strong position. Felicity Landon reports.

RECENT moves in the US to postpone the controversial requirement for 100% scanning of inbound boxes by as much as three years have – not surprisingly – been making the headlines.
First, Washington announced a two-year extension of the 2012 deadline because of technical problems and funding issues. Then, in July, a bipartisan Port Security Bill submitted by Democrat senator John Rockefeller and Republican Kay Bailey Hutchison set out a series of proposals which include a delay to 2015.

The Bill proposes increasing small vessel security, a renewed focus on hazardous cargoes, and the development of a sustainable, risk-based effort to protect port infrastructure from terrorism.

However, according to Joe Alioto, vice president sales at VeriTainer, it might be easy to miss what he believes is the most important point in the Bill. It’s the change in wording from “and” to “or” which effectively decouples imaging and scanning. The proposal is for “extending the requirement that 100% of US-bound cargo containers be scanned using either nonintrusive imaging or radiation detection equipment to 2015” [our italics].

In the original requirements set out with the 2012 deadline, country-of-origin scanning was defined as scanning and imaging.

“But it has been realised that the technology doesn’t exist for high-throughput imaging,” says Mr Alioto. “The Rockefeller approach is an eminently reasonable one that will result in significantly improved security. And when high-throughput imaging does become a reality, this could then be implemented.”

If the Bill is passed, this would put passive scanning companies “in a good place”, he says. VeriTainer would expect to be fully subscribed on its current Crane Mounted Solution (CMS) scanning system.

The VeriSpreader uses sensors embedded in the spreader bar to scan the container during every lift – giving a 26 to 120-second exposure. “CMS is built seamlessly into the existing port infrastructure; land-based portals create a choke point,” says Mr Alioto.

While the debate continues over scanning requirements, he re-emphasises a shocking truth; 95% of the containers presently arriving on the shores of the US are not scanned in any way until they actually leave the port. The threat is obvious; many ports are surrounded by heavily populated areas, and detonating a nuclear or dirty bomb at the container terminal would be devastating.
“Scanning containers as they leave the terminal, after they’ve arrived, is simply too late,” says Mr Alioto. “And the US is not alone. Every port in the world that handles inbound containers is subject to the same terrible threat. The US lawmakers have led the way on this because, in addition to the horrifying potential human cost, they understand that without a scanning infrastructure in place the global maritime supply chain is an isolated event away from a complete and open-ended shutdown.”

In another recent twist, the US Commercial Operations Advisory Committee recommended a repeal of the demand for 100% scanning, and called for this to be replaced by risk-based assessment.

However, Mr Alioto says: “Some think scanning gives a false sense of security, but still, don’t you want a layer of hardware? How resilient is profiling? If the whole thing is based on data you collect, someone sooner or later will defeat that. We know scanners at airports aren’t perfect, but we would rather they were there.”

The US government has recently issued RFI (Request for Information) and RFP (Request for Proposal) requests for the provision of radiation scanning from traditional port container handling equipment. “This is the strongest indication yet that the US authorities are giving serious consideration to moving from a reliance on portal scanning solutions located at container terminal gates to a solution that would scan containers from traditional port handling equipment during the normal course of port operations,” says Troy Thompson, president of Cargotec Port Security.

CPS’s SafePort solutions use traditional container handling kit to analyse containers for radiation and “fill the security gaps” which would exist were ports to rely solely on perimeter-based portal monitor scanning, he says. This includes transhipment containers which would not go through a portal monitor.

Mr Thompson calls for a “layered system” for security scanning, and one that must be part of day-to-day handling: “We can’t slow down commerce, it has to keep moving. If something is going to create another queue or keep a box stuck in port for another three days, then of course there is concern for the shipper.”

He says the two-year delay to 2014 will give the US government more time to determine what equipment will be used and how scanning technology will actually be funded.
The delay should be helpful for the industry, too, he says: “Industry has the opportunity collectively to find its voice, to make sure that the scanning strategy is least disruptive to port operations.”

He adds: “If the industry doesn’t work together and voice its preferences, ports may end up with a scanning solution they don’t like – one that takes up too much space, involves too much manpower, or slows down the cargo flow. We expect 2011/12 to be key decision years for the government. Our port community should and can influence those decisions.”

In reference to the delay to 2014, Andrew Goldsmith, vice president of marketing at Rapiscan, says: “The most important thing is that we have an effective policy. If the modification means more effective long-run implementation, then we are all for it.”

He says Rapiscan has the broadest line of cargo screening systems available today, ranging from a 6 MeV energy level, where very high levels of container penetration are required, to 1MeV systems for applications demanding a smaller operational footprint. Rapiscan’s range also includes mobiles, portals, rail-mounted and trailer-mounted.

“We are advising our customers to spend a lot of time upfront thinking about their operational and process requirements and how these may change over the next five to 10 years, so they can select the technology that will best meet their requirements.”

Ports all care about cost, throughput, detection, reliability, footprint, etc., but the importance each port attaches to each requirement will vary depending on their circumstances, says Mr Goldsmith.

Rapiscan has introduced several new products in the past year, including its Eagle M10 and T10 products which incorporate a 1 MeV X-ray imaging system in mobile and trailer-mounted configurations. The company also offers radiation detection technology for checking containers and vehicles, including units that can be mounted on container handling equipment.

L-3 Security and Detection Systems is involved in two US government-sponsored programmes – the Cargo Advanced Radiography System and the Shielded Nuclear Alarm Resolution – both aimed at addressing potential threats from nuclear materials that could be hidden in trucks and containers. The company is working with regulators to support progress towards 100% scanning, says senior vice president Bill Frain.

“The implementation and deployment of cargo screening systems is sufficiently complex that customers need to proactively look into solutions well in advance of any deadline,” he says.
Maintaining high throughput is a key concern for ports, and L-3’s CX-Portal drive-through inspection systems helps in this, due to the driver being able safely to remain in the vehicle, while automated operation minimises costs and enables more efficient use of staff, he says. “The CX-Portal integrates into current operations with minimal impact and is an efficient solution for eliminating bottlenecks at ports, airports and other high-volume cargo inspection locations.”

Mr Frain says L-3’s dual energy material discrimination capability gives operators the ability quickly to distinguish among different types of materials – organic, inorganic and metal. This can streamline identification of suspicious materials by providing visual information to help operators spot materials that don’t belong.

CBRNeWorld.com, Summer 2010 — Veritainer, the crane-mounted scanning technology company, announced that it has a cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA) with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories. The CRADA will enhance and refine their system, with approximately $4million being spent over the next three and a half years. Veritainer have a good system – it will be interesting to see it improve.

The current favourite, and likely to remain so, is the gantry crane that lifts the containers from the ship. This allows them a fair amount of time in close proximity to the detector, and also frees the space envelope from needing to be mounted on a man or saloon vehicle chassis... Yet it is not all bad news. At least with radiological detection you are dealing with a finite number of sources – usually americium and caesium –meaning the detector can be finely tuned. This means stand-off systems might become highly attuned to these sources and leave the rest of the spectra to the detectors on the gantry crane. The better the capability can become attuned to the rhythms of commerce, the more effective a system it will be (early radiological portals that scanned trucks got accidentally wiped out by truckers who were concerned they were being irradiated!) and the safer we will all be.

The Laboratory and VeriTainer Corporation have entered into a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA). The CRADA will be used to refine and enhance VeriTainer’s patented crane-mounted scanning (CMS) technology.

The CRADA will be in place for three-and-a-half years and require approximately $4 million in funding. LLNL will work in cooperation with VeriTainer’s scientists and engineers to enhance both gamma and neutron detection sensitivity while maintaining the capabilities of VeriTainer’s CMS. The system has been operated for the past four years in field tests run at three ports and in five different terminals.

“This agreement with an entity as accomplished and respected as Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is obviously a big step forward for our firm, the CMS technology and the overall security of the global supply chain,” said John Alioto, CEO of VeriTainer. “Together, we will optimize the existing technology and continue to develop the overall CMS solution.”

Steven Kreek, the leader of LLNL’s Nuclear Detection and Countermeasures Research Program, stated that under the CRADA the Laboratory will use its expertise not only to optimize the sensitivity of the CMS but also to leverage the platform to deliver an effective counterterrorism system.

“This technology occupies a unique security niche in that it will be used to scan cargo that is passed between ships, known as transshipment, that doesn’t actually enter a country until reaching its final destination. This technology will help ensure that cargo containers are not used for transporting radiological or nuclear threats,” Kreek added.

LAWRENCE LIVERMORE NATIONAL LAB AND VERITAINER CORP. SIGN COOPERATIVE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT

LIVERMORE—Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and VeriTainer Corporation have entered into a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA). The CRADA will be used to refine and enhance VeriTainer’s patented crane mounted scanning (CMS) technology.

The CRADA will be in place for three-and-a-half years and require approximately $4 million in funding. LLNL will work in cooperation with VeriTainer’s scientists and engineers to enhance both gamma and neutron detection sensitivity, while maintaining the capabilities of VeriTainer’s CMS. The system has been operated for the past four years in field tests run at three ports and in five different terminals.

Steven Kreek, the leader of LLNL’s Nuclear Detection and Countermeasures Research Program, stated that under the CRADA the Laboratory will use its expertise not only to optimize the sensitivity of the CMS, but also to leverage the platform to deliver an effective counterterrorism system.

VeriTainer Corporation is a venture-backed leader in crane-based radiation detection technology for scanning of shipping containers to ensure that the world’s ports are free from nuclear terrorism. VeriTainer’s patented technology enables scanning of 100 percent of shipping containers, addressing a principal vulnerability of the world’s population centers and allowing for rapid scanning of containers entering and exiting ports without disrupting the flow of commerce.

Founded in 1952, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is a national security laboratory that develops science and engineering technology and provides innovative solutions to our nation’s most important challenges. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is managed by Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC for the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration.

Press Release | Dec 11, 2009 8:37PM GMT
The Journal of Commerce Online - Press Release
U.S. Patent No. 7,612,338 Covers Container Identification Method In Radiation Scanning
Fremont, CA, Nov, 3 2009 – Silicon Valley based VeriTainer Corporation, the world leader in crane- mounted maritime container radiation scanning, has received its fourth patent on its crane- mounted scanning product, the VeriSpreader ® System. The ’338 patent utilizes the twist lock signal from the real-time container monitoring system of the crane to distinguish which container is being scanned at what time and associate radiation data to a particular container.

VeriTainer is the only company in the world that has run comprehensive tests in the field, with over 15 months of testing in two highly successful trials at the Port of Oakland.

“The ’338 patent is a very significant piece of intellectual property for VeriTainer,” said John I. Alioto, CEO of VeriTainer Corporation. “In addition to demonstrating unparalleled robustness, our engineers implemented key operational techniques for real time data monitoring in the Oakland trials. The ’338 patent is the first in a series of patents that will come out of the 2005 and 2007 Oakland trials.”

The ’338 patent is the fourth to issue in the United States covering VeriTainer’s innovative crane-mounted scanning system. These patents have been filed in most jurisdictions around the world and cover the world’s top 50 container ports. These patents give VeriTainer the fundamental crane- mounted scanning methods and apparatuses in key international jurisdictions.

“It would be very challenging to come up with a real-time method for effectively separating the scans and matching them to a container without utilizing the twist lock signal,” said Matthew Alioto, VP of Engineering and co-inventor of the ’338 patent. “The technical team at VeriTainer continues to innovate at a brisk pace while patenting after our engineers. I’m very pleased with the both issuance of the ’338 and what we have in the pipeline on the Intellectual Property side.”

VeriTainer Corp., which has developed a crane-based radiation scanning system called the VeriSpreader®, is currently in the second phase of a self-funded pilot test program at the Port of Oakland. The demonstration began on March 30 and runs through the end of June using the VeriSpreader® at the Matson Navigation Co.'s Howard Terminal. The VeriSpreader® takes about one minute to scan a cargo container for radioactive and nuclear material, which is less than the time it takes to offload a container from a ship. Phase 1 of the pilot testing was done last fall to verify that the VeriSpreader® could pick up various types of radiation. The second phase is testing the robustness and sensitivity of VeriSpreader®. The system has isotope identification capabilities to alert to harmful, as opposed to innocuous, sources of radiation.

A new radiation detector that could improve the screening of U.S.-bound cargo containers for nuclear weapons will undergo full-scale testing in the Port of Oakland, developers of the technology announced this week.

VeriTainer Corp., a Bay Area firm, will equip the Matson Navigation Co. terminal with scanners that attach to the hoisting mechanism of towering cranes that serve container ships.

The device screens cargo for radiological materials as it is loaded and unloaded, reducing the need to place detectors on busy docks and wharves where they can complicate harbor operations.

If successful and widely applied, the detectors will give domestic and foreign ports the potential to scan virtually every container arriving in the United States, VeriTainer executives say.

Today, many shipping containers arriving in the U.S. are checked for nuclear materials as they leave port terminals by truck, sometimes days, even weeks, after they are unloaded.

At foreign ports, many containers aren’t screened for radiation before they leave for the U.S., creating a potential opening for terrorists to smuggle in weapons.

"The key to our technology is that we are in the workflow," said VeriTainer Chief Executive John Alioto. "Our goal is to install detectors around the world, making every container crane a security checkpoint."

Matson, which owns the terminal along with Stevedoring Services of America, has agreed to install scanners on one of the facility’s three cranes for a 60-day trial run.

The VeriTainer system screens for neutrons as well as gamma rays and gamma energy, a product of radioactive decay. Company officials say the readings then are transmitted from the crane via wireless technology to computer monitors used by inspectors.

Unlike current scanners, the device can detect shielding used to conceal nuclear materials and determine if the emissions are a type associated with radiological weapons, which would reduce false alarms, developers say. More than 1% of cargo — including bananas, kitty litter, ceramics and building materials — naturally emits radiation.

Rather than sell the detectors, VeriTainer plans to enter into agreements with ports and terminal operators to install the devices and then charge $20 per inspection.

The equivalent of 7 million 40-foot cargo containers arrive in the U.S. every year from foreign ports. Almost half are unloaded in Los Angeles and Long Beach, the largest harbor complex in the nation. There are about 2,500 large port cranes worldwide.

Alioto said the system could help ports and the federal government meet new container inspection goals required by the federal Safe Port Act, which is designed to reduce the vulnerability of U.S. harbors to terrorist attack.

Signed by President Bush in October, the measure requires that almost all containers entering through the nation’s top 22 ports must be scanned for radiation by the end of next year.

The law further calls for pilot programs in three foreign ports where all containers bound for the U.S. must be screened.

"If the testing comes out positive and the technology is reliable, it will make a lot of headway in tactical planning and securing containers," said Noel Cunningham, a maritime security consultant and former chief of the Los Angeles Port Police.

Cunningham, who works for the Marsec Group, said the potential to prevent false alarms could save time and money by reducing the number of containers that might have to be fully inspected, a tedious undertaking.

Terminal operators and shipping line representatives say the VeriTainer system could streamline the inspection system in port and make it increasingly possible to screen most containers bound for U.S. ports.

"Conceptually, this sounds pretty positive. The farther from our ports you can detect things the better, and anything we can do to push that boundary back the better," said Jim McKenna, chief executive of the Pacific Maritime Assn., which represents shipping companies and terminal owners on the West Coast.

In the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, U.S. Customs and Border Protection operates 85 stationary radiation detectors near the exit gates of 14 port terminals.

Earlier this month, the agency added 18 mobile radiation detectors, part of a group of 24 that will be deployed by January. In addition, customs officers use small hand-held detectors on the docks and wharves to check a small fraction of the cargo containers that arrive daily.

Patrick Jones, a Customs spokesman in Washington D.C., said the agency might consider the VeriTainer device if it is successful and addresses the difficulties inspectors face in foreign and domestic ports.

"Theoretically this would go a long way toward solving problems that exist in some seaports," Jones said. "It can be very cumbersome today moving containers around the docks to subject them to radiation scans."

A new radiation detector that could improve the screening of US-bound cargo containers for nuclear weapons will undergo full-scale testing in the Port of Oakland, California, developers of the technology announced this week.

VeriTainer Corp, a San Francisco Bay Area firm, will equip the Matson Navigation Co. terminal with scanners that attach to the hoisting mechanism of cranes that serve container ships.

The device screens cargo for radiological materials as it is loaded and unloaded, reducing the need to place detectors on busy docks and wharves where they can complicate harbour operations. If successful and widely applied, the detectors would give domestic and foreign ports the potential to scan virtually every container arriving in the US, VeriTainer executives say.

Today, many arriving shipping containers are checked for nuclear materials as they leave port terminals by truck, sometimes days, even weeks, after they are unloaded. At foreign ports, many containers aren?t screened for radiation before they leave for the US, creating a potential opening for terrorists to smuggle in weapons.

"The key to our technology is that we are in the workflow," VeriTainer Chief Executive John Alioto said. "Our goal is to install detectors around the world, making every container crane a security checkpoint." Matson, which owns the terminal along with Stevedoring Services of America, has agreed to install scanners on one of the facility's three cranes for a 60-day trial.

The VeriTainer system screens for neutrons as well as gamma rays and gamma energy, a product of radioactive decay. Company officials say the readings are transmitted from the crane via wireless technology to computer monitors used by inspectors. Unlike current scanners, the device can detect shielding used to conceal nuclear materials and determine if the emissions are a type associated with radiological weapons, which would reduce false alarms, developers say. More than 1 percent of cargo (including bananas, kitty litter, ceramics and building materials) naturally emits radiation.

Radiation scanner to undergo test at U.S. port
Last Updated(Beijing Time):2006-11-18 13:49

A new radiation detector that could improve the screening of U.S.-bound cargo containers for nuclear weapons will undergo full-scale testing in the Port of Oakland, it was reported Friday.

The device screens cargo for radiological materials as it is loaded and unloaded, reducing the need to place detectors on busy docks and wharves where they can complicate harbor operations.

San Fransisco-based VeriTainer Corp. will equip the Matson Navigation Co. terminal with scanners that attach to the hoisting mechanism of towering cranes that serve container ships, according to the Los Angeles Times.

If successful and widely applied, the detectors will give domestic and foreign ports the potential to scan virtually every container arriving in the United States, VeriTainer executives were quoted as saying.

At present, it take days, even weeks to check shipping containers arriving in the U.S. for nuclear materials as they leave port terminals by truck after they are unloaded.

At foreign ports, many containers aren't screened for radiation before they leave for the U.S., creating a potential opening for terrorists to smuggle in weapons, said the paper.

Unlike current scanners, the device can detect shielding used to conceal nuclear materials and determine if the emissions are a type associated with radiological weapons, which would reduce false alarms, developers say. More than 1 percent of cargo - including bananas, kitty litter, ceramics and building materials -naturally emits radiation.

The report said the equivalent of 7 million 40-foot cargo containers arrive in the U.S. every year from foreign ports. Almost half are unloaded in Los Angeles and Long Beach ports, the largest harbor complex in the nation. There are about 2,500 large port cranes worldwide.

Test of Radiation - Nuclear Weapon Detection Equipment at the Port of Oakland

OAKLAND, Calif., Nov. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- VeriTainer Corporation, with state, local and national agencies, will implement a test program designed to scan for harmful radiation or nuclear weapon technology in shipping containers at the Port of Oakland. The test will be held in cooperation with SSAT and the Matson Navigation Company at the Charles P. Howard marine terminal at the Oakland seaport, the fourth busiest container port in the United States.

The 60-day test starting January 2007 will utilize the VeriTainer "VeriSpreader®" scanning technology which is mounted on cranes and moves over container cargo in about one minute as it scans for potentially dangerous radiation that may be hidden in cargo containers. A press conference announcing this test will be held adjacent to the Port of Oakland headquarters on November 15th at 10:30am.

Federal, state and local agencies will be monitoring this test to validate recent findings that show that the VeriTainer device meets specifications to certify the technology as a Qualified Anti-Terrorist Technology (a "QATT") for use in ports and shipping areas around the U.S. Federal agencies that are closely monitoring the results of such test projects include; Customs and Border Patrol part of the US Department of Homeland Security.

"The Port of Oakland works closely with our local and federal security agencies on a daily basis. We consider seaport security of paramount importance and applaud companies like VeriTainer that are working on developing and testing new security technologies which may prove to enhance seaport security," stated Port of Oakland Deputy Executive Director of External Affairs Harold Jones.

A similar pilot project (test) was conducted by VeriTainer on Aug. 14 -- Oct. 25, 2005 at the Port of Oakland Ben. E. Nutter terminal on a smaller scale. During that test 6,529 containers were scanned, and each scan took less than 100 seconds. This effective and efficient method of scanning maintains the flow of commerce. The scanning program is being evaluated for use under new homeland security legislation being considered by the U.S. Congress. This new legislation calls for 100% scanning of all container traffic coming into the U.S. by 2010. The VeriSpreader® technology also offers significant benefits that are being requested by port operators such as: minimal impact on the flow of commerce; zero radiation exposure from equipment for dockworkers and Customs personnel; and smart software that detects shielding, provides manifest comparisons and ensures landside container security.

This second test is designed to verify previous findings of the sensitivity and accuracy of the VeriTainer technology. The test will extend over a 60-day period under various conditions, involving different types of shipments and other important potential variables.

"It is an extremely important opportunity to be able to demonstrate the effectiveness of our VeriTainer technology at the Port of Oakland under the supervision and guidance of the Department of Homeland Security," stated John Alioto, CEO and Chairman. "The safety and security at our nation's ports is of vital importance. This multi-faceted test will help us demonstrate that VeriTainer has the necessary tools to scan for harmful radiation quickly and cost effectively."

VeriTainer Corporation develops technology to detect radiation in shipping containers to protect the world's ports and shipping areas. VeriTainer was formed on June 23, 2003 by John I. Alioto in the wake of the 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center. Mr. Alioto became alarmed at the vulnerability of the world's population centers to a potential nuclear attack delivered by shipping container. As a result, he assembled a team of leading scientists and engineers and created VeriTainer's patented technology that will ultimately allow for radiation scanning of 100% of shipping containers that move into US ports. The patented VeriSpreader® technology allows for rapid scanning without disrupting the flow of the shipping process.

The Port of Oakland oversees the Oakland seaport, Oakland International Airport and 19 miles of waterfront. The Oakland seaport is the 4th busiest container port in the U.S.; Oakland International Airport offers more than 200 daily non-stop flights to 39 domestic and international destinations; and the Port's commercial real estate includes Jack London Square, Oakland's premier entertainment spot along the waterfront. The Port of Oakland was established in 1927 and is an independent department of the City of Oakland.

VeriTainer Corporation
CONTACT: Seth Jacobson, +1-310-317-1966, or cell, +1-310-592-3900,
seth@jcipr.com, for VeriTainer Corporation

Radioactive Detection Device to be Tested at Oakland's Port
Posted: Wednesday, 15 November 2006 3:44PM

OAKLAND, Calif. (KCBS) -- The Port of Oakland will test a device next year designed to detect radioactive material inside cargo containers, as part of the effort to keep American ports safer from terrorism.

The St. Helena based company VeriTainer developed the device, called a VeriSpreader®, which can be rapidly swept over each cargo container. The scanner will be tested at the port’s domestic terminal first. Some containers will have radioactive test material planted in them, but VeriTainer CEO John Alioto said there are no real dangers.

"Our device is purely passive. It's not an active device at all. For example, the x-ray machine that you have experienced at the dentists office, that's an active device. It has a source of radiation that is shot at the target, and then it's detected. This is strictly detection."

Alioto told KCBS’ Bob Melrose that the cost of operating the device will depend on how many containers the VeriSpreader® checks.

"We will front all the costs, we'll put the device there. You don't buy or pay for anything that doesn't work, but when you see it works and you certify that it works, you pay us $20 a container."

With a million containers passing through Oakland each year, the VeriSpreader® could rack up quite a bill. Court officials are hoping the federal government will pick up part of the tab.