Reader Comment – 06-24-09 – TWIC Availability

Earlier today Wally Magda left a comment about an earlier blog on background checks and TWIC. Apparently responding to my statement that: “If facilities were to get TWICs for each of their employees that had access to restricted or security areas, this would almost certainly fulfill the RBPS #12 requirements.”; Wally writes:

“Great TWIC can't be obtained in some states because there aren't any enrollment centers. One example is Colorado. I would have to travel quite a distance to get a TWIC processed.”

Wally brings up a very good point that I overlooked in my posting. TWIC could be used to fulfill the RBPS #12 background check ‘requirements’, but states removed from the coast or navigable waterways may find it difficult to get ready access to ‘enrollment centers’. TWIC was designed to provide identification for workers at port facilities, not all chemical facility workers. This means that the enrollment centers are more likely to be near those port facilities. Land-locked states like Colorado are less likely to need the services of such a center. This problem may be aggravated by a provision in Safe Trucker’s Act section of HR 2200. That provision, §432 would require DHS to write rules requiring trucker’s carrying ‘security sensitive materials’ to have TWIC. DHS would be required to start issuing these licenses by May 1st, 2010 so maybe they would have time to establish more enrollment centers in parts of the country that are currently underserved.