NEW YORK, NY March 20, 2007 —In 2006, for the first time ever, the number of freight containers passing through the Port of New York and New Jersey broke the 5 million mark. Yet officials with the Port Authority say the Federal Government is taking too long to do it's part to secure port facilities. WNYC's Bob Hennelly has more.

REPORTER: Port Authority Chairman Anthony Coscia says some progress has been made in tightening port security but the Federal government lacked the sense of urgency his agency feels is needed to get the job done.

COSCIA: But we obviously have a certain amount of anxiety over the speed with which that progress is being made. This is an area where the Federal government clearly has to have a leadership role in implementing protocols that will be adopted around the country.

REPORTER: Specifically Coscia said the Department of Homeland Security had dropped the ball on a joint research project with Port Authority and DHS called Operation Safe Harbor. It was started last year to develop a cigar size box attached to shipping containers to keep them tamper proof.

Coscia said months ago data on the prototypes performance was sent to Washington with no reply. A spokesman for Secretary Michael Chertoff said there was no delay in the program and a lot had already been accomplished. For WNYC I am Bob Hennelly