DHS flips off mariners

Not that it's a surprise:
SUBJ: TRANSPORTATION WORKER IDENTIFICATION CREDENTIAL (TWIC) FINAL RULE UPDATE

1. ON 22 MAY 2006, THE COAST GUARD AND THE TRANSPORTATION SECURITY ADMINISTRATION (TSA) PUBLISHED THE TWIC JOINT NOTICE OF PROPOSED RULEMAKING (NPRM). FOUR PUBLIC MEETINGS WERE HELD IN LATE MAY AND EARLY JUNE IN NEWARK, NJ; TAMPA, FL; ST. LOUIS, MO; AND LONG BEACH, CA. DURING THE 45 DAY COMMENT PERIOD, THE COAST GUARD AND TSA RECEIVED OVER 1900 COMMENTS ON THIS RULE. A NUMBER OF THESE REQUESTED AN EXTENSION OF THE COMMENT PERIOD AND ADDITIONAL PUBLIC MEETINGS, MANY OF THESE ALSO VOICED CONCERN REGARDING CARD READER TECHNOLOGY, ANALYSIS OF ECONOMIC IMPACT, POTENTIAL NEGATIVE IMPACTS TO COMMERCE, AND UNCERTAINTY AS TO HOW TWIC REQUIREMENTS FOR FACILITIES AND VESSELS COULD BE MET.

2. AFTER A REVIEW OF THE COMMENTS RECEIVED DURING THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD AND THE REQUESTS FOR EXTENSION, TSA AND THE COAST GUARD DECIDED NOT TO EXTEND THE COMMENT PERIOD FOR THE NPRM.INSTEAD, TWIC IMPLEMENTATION PROVISIONS IN THE NPRM HAVE BEEN DIVIDED INTO TWO RULES. TSA AND COAST GUARD HAVE CONCLUDED THAT FACILITY AND VESSEL OWNERS AND OPERATORS WILL NOT BE REQUIRED TO PURCHASE OR INSTALL CARD READERS DURING THE FIRST PHASE OF THE TWIC IMPLEMENTATION (FIRST FINAL RULE). ADDITIONALLY, A REQUIREMENT TO PURCHASE AND INSTALL CARD READERS WILL NOT BE IMPLEMENTED UNTIL THE PUBLIC IS AFFORDED FURTHER OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT ON THAT ASPECT OF THE TWIC PROGRAM. THIS WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED UNDER A SECOND RULEMAKING INITIATIVE CONSISTING OF ANOTHER NPRM AND FINAL RULE.

3. FIELD UNITS ARE ENCOURAGED TO SHARE THIS INFORMATION WITH AREA MARITIME SECURITY COMMITTEES AND LOCAL INDUSTRY REPRESENTATIVES.PUBLIC AFFAIRS GUIDANCE REGARDING TWO TWIC RULEMAKINGS WILL BE AVAILABLE ON THE MTSA-ISPS INTRANET WEBSITE AT HTTP://CGWEB.COMDT.USCG.MIL/G-MP/HELPDESK/HTM . MORE DETAILED GUIDANCE FOR INDUSTRY AND CAPTAINS OF THE PORT IS ANTICIPATED AFTER THE FIRST FINAL RULE HAS BEEN PUBLISHED THROUGH A TWIC NAVIGATION AND VESSEL INSPECTION CIRCULAR AND COMMANDANT INSTRUCTION.
4. QUESTIONS CONCERNING TWIC SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO THE MTSA-ISPS HELPDESK HOTLINE AT 1-877-MTSA-AID (1-877-267-2243).
5. INTERNET RELEASE IS AUTHORIZED.
6. RDML SALERNO, DIRECTOR OF INSPECTIONS AND COMPLIANCE, SENDS.