For these vessels only, USCG will perform additional screening prior to entry into a US Port in accordance with current protocols for any radiation detection readings. CBP [Customs and Border Protection] has issued field guidance reiterating its radiation detection operational protocols and directed field personnel to monitor sea traffic from Japan. CBP has not changed standard screening protocols for radiation detection. Out of an abundance of caution, CBP has provided guidance to port directors to meet vessels arriving from Japan at their first port of arrival to conduct additional screening. This will include a radiation assessment of the vessel and pier-side screening of a sample of the cargo as it is off-loaded. When processing cargo from Japan, CBP frontline personnel will follow a longstanding resolution protocols for any radiation detection readings.
When officers receive a standard radiation detection alert, their protocol requires that the cargo be referred for a secondary screening. During this secondary processing, officers work with technical experts who determine if the radiation source is legitimate and at levels that do not pose a health hazard. If it is determined that radiation levels are unsafe in any way, CBP will notify the affected carrier and coordinate an appropriate response. Since the initial development of the event in Japan, no person, baggage, cargo or aircraft entering the United States has received a positive alert for harmful radiation levels as monitored by DHS [Department of Homeland Security]. But CBP made it clear that DHS continues to evaluate the potential risks posed by radiation contamination on inbound cargo and will adjust its detection and response protocols in coordination with its partners, as developments warrant.