United States Department of Transportation

Introduction The United States Department of Transportation is a cabinet level agency of the federal government responsible for planning and coordination of federal transportation projects. This simply means it is responsible for helping maintain and develop the nation’s transportation systems and infrastructure. The department also plays a key role by providing funding to state and local authorities each year to help improve transportation programs throughout the country. It is also mandated with the responsibility of setting regulations for all major modes of transportation. History It was in October 15 1966 that President Lyndon Johnson signed into law the “Department of Transportation Act” creating a new cabinet agency with five operating…

The United States transportation industry is one of the largest consumer markets. The market domains within the transportation industry are major contribution to the continual expansion of the industry. The transportation business is massive, incorporating everything from metropolitan transport, train systems and buses that people use to commute back and forth to work and school, from the rail and trucking systems that transport products nationwide and ships that move products from port to port…

their bags excluding your carry-ons. This is the desk where they verify the passenger is who they say they are by checking their ticket with their passport. In addition to the verification there is a specification the passenger must meet concerning their bag: they must be under fifty pounds or else the passenger will have to pay an extra fee for them to accept the bag. With our group we had a few members that were over fifty pounds so in order to save them from the extra fee they moved some…

Centralized Nuclear Waste Storage Introduction Approximately twenty percent of the electric power in America is generated through a nuclear reaction, and as a result of the production, high-level nuclear waste is created. Imperatively, the nation must find a way on how to store its nuclear waste. Yucca Mountain in the state of Nevada was identified by the Department of Energy and subsequently approved by both the Congressional and the Executive branches of government as a repository site for…

plagues the United States due to dilemmas surrounding its handling. A scientific consensus shows that the best way to get rid of nuclear waste is through geological disposal, however, this method creates several barriers. Geological disposal includes storing nuclear waste in an underground repository site in hopes of it being contained without the need of surveillance for thousands of years. Due to the fact that nuclear waste contains high levels of radioactivity, the search for a repository…

This year, I once again had the pleasure of serving as the Democratic lead for the congressional delegation led by Senator McCain to the Munich security conference. Every time I go to Munich, I appear on a panel to about the global challenges of climate change. The first year, my panel was in the hotel across the street. Then we were moved to the main hotel, but up in the attic. And then this year, we were on the main-stage, in prime time with three current or former heads of state. Our…

highlighted significant gaps in the country’s emergency preparedness and more specifically, its ability to identify threats and protect against terrorist attacks. The resulting analyses of the incident and the response efforts stressed the need for an overarching program that would coordinate the efforts of a multitude of government agencies with competing goals and requirements. A program that would improve the transfer of critical intelligence and maximize response efforts. It leads to the…

Intelligence Intelligence gathering and dissemination is the key to homeland security and homeland defense. The gathering of intelligence is a dynamic process that requires the cooperation of a myriad of federal, state, and local agencies. Throughout the process there are several capabilities and limitations that could become support or hinder the protection of the nation. Prior to the attacks on 9/11 the intelligence community struggled to collect and analyze information in regards to…

using the Internet if used wrongly and the campaign pushes a more secure usage of the Internet (Homeland Security – Cyber Security). Even with the added security from all branches in the Department of Homeland Security, the United States still struggles with terrorist attacks. Between 2001 and 2013 there has been around 60 known plots of terrorist attacks. There have been four instances where…

This is known as a risk assessment; the evaluation of the possible consequences should disaster occur (Lindell, Perry & Prater). According to Masse, O’Neil & Rollins, risk assessment methodology has had at least three different stages of development in relation to homeland security (2007). In the fiscal year 2001, the Department of Justice was the primary agency responsible for assessing risk through its first stage. The Department of Justice vied that Risk was equal to Population of an area;…