U.S. Homeland Security -

On August 1 the U.S. Homeland Security Department raised the threat assessment level to Code ORANGE (high) for financial institutions in New York City, Newark, NJ, and Washington DC. The rest of the country remained on "YELLOW" (elevated).

2004 Republican National Convention in NYC
Street closures in the immediate vicinity of Madison Square Garden will begin on Sunday, August 29th and are as follows:

West 31st to West 33rd Streets from 6th to 9th Avenues will be closed to vehicle traffic. Between 7th and 9th Avenues, pedestrians will need to have a business-related purpose to enter (like New Year's Eve in Times Square).

West 32nd between 6th and 7th Avenue will be closed to vehicle traffic. It will become a Pedestrian Mall, providing access to Penn Station up through Penn Station's 7th Avenue entrance under the MSG marquee. People will be able to enter Penn Station through the entrance at 34th and 7th Avenue but not from 8th Avenue..

7th Avenue will be closed from 42nd to 29th Streets during the 13 hours when the convention is in session. At other times, at least one lane will be open in the MSG area and all lanes will be open elsewhere

8th Avenue will be closed during the convention hours from 23rd to 34th Streets. Since 31st Street at 8th Avenue will be a designated protest area, additional lane or avenue closures are likely south of that point at other times during the week.

The Convention will not be in session during rush hour and it has only one session during the day, on Monday from 10:00am to 1:00pm. The evening sessions will take place Monday through Thursday, from 8:30pm to 11:00pm.

Motorists should avoid the area. Use public transportation if possible. Parking will be limited. Some on-street parking will be restricted. All trucks and vans will be subject to inspection at spots around the neighborhood. There will be limitations for trucks and vans on certain streets. Sidewalks will be open for pedestrians, subject to some restrictions around Madison Square Garden .

Editorial note: Vehicles entering the city, particularly trucks, are subject to inspection and possible searches. Commercial drivers are cautioned to make sure that their paperwork is in order and that cargo is in good condition, properly marked, labeled, braced and secure. Inspections may also extend to New Jersey and Connecticut.

On August 25, 2004 the New York City Police Department issued the following press release:

Notice of Possible Personal Searches by the NYPD
During the Republican National Convention, there may be times when the Police Department conducts searches of bags, backpacks or other large packages of citizens and visitors alike in order to insure the safety and security of everyone. Those searches may take place on transit or commuter trains and stations, at demonstrations or other locations where the need may arise.

Air Bag Inflators -
Our complaints about the handling of air bag inflators attracted a lot of attention in the August Newsletter. If you care to add your two cents you can send us feedback by addressing your comments to info@r-a-specialists.com

U.S./MEXICO Cross-Border Dangerous Goods Seminar -
The Dangerous Goods Advisory Council will conduct a two day seminar in San Antonio, Texas on October 25-26, 2004. The seminar will focus on the differences between the U.S. HAZMAT Regulations and the Mexican NOMS (Normas Para el Transporte Terrestre de Materiales y Residuous Peligrosos). The event will be held at Wyndham St. Anthony Hotel in San Antonio.

This seminar has attracted considerable interest and will probably fill all available openings pretty soon. If you import or export dangerous goods via Mexico it is in your best interests to attend.

Additional information and registration forms are available on the DGAC Website - www.dgac.org

The program will cover all modes of transportation. Representatives of both governments and a large number of business entities will be in attendance. If you are experiencing delays and frustration this is your opportunity to straighten out problems on cross-border shipments in both directions. We suggest that you might want to have your Mexican or American business partners attend with you as well as a representative of your forwarder or customs broker.

Important Dates -

September 1 and 2
Quarterly Meeting, Alexandria, VA
DGAC Members only

October 25 and 26
US/Mexico Seminar, San Antonio, TX
sponsored by DGAC - open to the public (fee)

November 17 – 19, 2004
DGAC Board and Committee Meetings
DGAC Annual Conference and Hazardous Materials Transportation Exposition, St. Louis, MO
Open to the public (fee)

March 3-4, 2005 -
note there is a change from the original dates that we posted last month.
DGAC Global Conference, Antwerp, Belgium
Focus on International Dangerous Goods Issues - All Modes
Open to the public (fee)