Motion Center Toronto: May 18, 2011

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Current Road Conditions:

(Northern Erie - Southern Niagara County)

Tonawanda:
Young Street - Be careful and aware of hydroplaning due to standing water - flooded streets.
Fletcher Street near Clinton Street
BJ's Parking Lot to Youngs Street

North Tonawanda
River Road

Hydroplaning occurs when a car's tires leave the driving surface due to water.

385 Pounds of Bologna Seized at Santa Teresa Port of Entry

(Monday, May 16, 2011)

Santa Teresa, New Mexico - U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers working at the Santa Teresa port of entry seized 35 rolls of Mexican bologna Friday. The contraband meat weighed a total of 385 pounds.

“This is a prohibited product because it is made from pork and has the potential for introducing foreign animal diseases to the U.S. pork industry,” said Grace Gomez, Santa Teresa Port Director for U.S. Customs and Border Protection. “This seizure really stands out because when we seize bologna it is usually a small quantity or at most a roll or two.”

The seizure was made just before 7:00 a.m. Friday when a 2003 Dodge Ram pickup arrived at the port from Mexico. CBP officers received a negative declaration for any products from the driver of the truck. CBP officers performed an inspection and located 35 rolls of Mexican pork bologna hidden behind the seat. The driver, a 33-year-old resident of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, was assessed a $1,000 civil penalty and was released. The prohibited bologna was seized by CBP.

“Travelers can avoid penalties by declaring all agricultural items they are importing. If the item they declare is prohibited it can be abandoned at the port without consequence,” said Gomez. “Some foods and agricultural products are prohibited because they can introduce disease and pests to the U.S. agricultural industry.”

The massive seizure is the largest bologna bust ever recorded at the Santa Teresa crossing and the largest in the El Paso since 81 rolls of bologna weighing 756 pounds was made at the El Paso port of entry in November of 2003.

While anti-terrorism is the primary mission of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the inspection process at the ports of entry associated with this mission results in impressive numbers of enforcement actions in all categories.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.

Ready Lane Usage in First Two Weeks: Shorter Wait Time, Strong Initial Use

(Monday, May 16, 2011)

Otay Mesa, Calif. – The newly opened Ready Lane at the Otay Mesa port of entry has shown reduced wait times for users and steady usage since it opened.

During the first two weeks the lane was open, wait times for the Ready Lane remained shorter than wait times for general vehicle traffic. On average, travelers who used the Ready Lane cut their wait time by at least 20 minutes, compared to other travelers using the general traffic lanes at Otay Mesa.

For example, on Saturday, May 7, the average wait time for travelers in the Ready Lane was about 22 minutes less than in the regular lanes, and on Sunday, May 8, travelers in the Ready Lane waited about 46 minutes less. These times were during the Ready Lane hours of operation, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., on both days.

Wait times in the Ready Lane Monday, May 9 through Thursday, May 12 were 21 minutes less, on average, than the regular lanes during the time the Ready Lane was open, from 4 a.m. to 10 p.m.

The data also shows that by requiring that travelers in the Ready Lane use RFID-enabled documents, CBP officers were able, on average, to process each vehicle approximately 15-20 seconds faster than vehicles in the regular lanes.

“We have also received strong anecdotal evidence, through the queries we receive from the public, social media monitoring, etc., that the availability of this new, faster lane, is encouraging more people to get an RFID-enabled document,” said Chris Maston, director of field operations in San Diego. “We implemented the Ready Lane at Otay Mesa to account for increased usage in the future, without compromising our ability to keep wait times lower for travelers in the Ready Lane.”

According to the initial data, approximately 25 percent of the vehicles that would have used the port of entry’s general traffic lanes, instead used the designated Ready Lanes.

On Tuesday May 3, 2011, U.S. Customs and Border Protection opened the new Ready Lane at the Otay Mesa port of entry for vehicle traffic with travelers who have travel documents enabled with Radio Frequency Identification, or RFID, technology.

RFID-enabled documents include: the U.S. Passport Card, SENTRI card, the new Legal Permanent Resident “green card” and the new Border Crossing Card. In order to use this dedicated lane, all adult passengers in the vehicle over the age of 16 must present an RFID-enabled document.

For additional information about the Ready Lane at Otay Mesa: ( CBP to Open 'Ready Lane' at Otay Mesa Border Crossing )

En Español: ( Oficiales de CBP abrirán el carril Ready Lane en la Garita de la Mesa de Otay )

Flag Officer Announcement

Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates announced today that the President has nominated Navy Rear Adm. David H. Buss for appointment to the rank of vice admiral and assignment as deputy commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command, Norfolk, Va. Buss is currently serving as director, Naval Warfare Integration Group, N00X, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.

Today in the Department of Defense, Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen conduct a press briefing at 1 p.m. EDT in the Pentagon Briefing Room

Deputy Secretary of Defense William J. Lynn and Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs Scott Gould will testify at a hearing of the Senate Committee on Veteran's Affairs regarding the Seamless Transition Interagency Collaboration between the two departments regarding Wounded Warrior Care at 10 a.m. EDT in room 418, Russell Senate Building.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen and China's Chief of the General Staff of the People's Liberation Army Gen. Chen Bingde will conduct a briefing at 4:15 p.m. EDT in the Pentagon Briefing Room (2E973). Journalists without a Pentagon building pass must be picked up at the River Entrance only.

Secretary of the Army John McHugh and Army Chief of Staff Gen. Martin E. Dempsey testify at a hearing of the Senate Appropriations Committee on fiscal 2012 budget request for the Department of the Army at 10:30 a.m. EDT in room, Dirksen 192.

Daily Snapshot from The White House

Your Daily Snapshot for
Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Nominate an Everyday Hero for the Citizens Medal

President Obama is asking for nominations for the 2011 Citizens Medal, our nation's second-highest civilian honor. If you know someone who has performed exemplary deeds of service outside of their regular jobs, be sure to nominate him or her before May 30, 2011.

Learn more about the Citizens Medal and submit your nomination.