TRENTON – Senator Joseph F. Vitale introduced legislation today which would give the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey a greater voice in business deals between companies operating New Jersey ports.
“The recent controversy over a United Arab Emirates-controlled company buying a British-owned company that operates ports in New Jersey has unveiled a very real homeland security problem,” said Senator Vitale, D-Middlesex. “The entire deal between Dubai Ports World and the British company, Peninsular, was approved through federal security checks under our radar, and New Jersey wasn’t given any knowledge of the deal until it hit the media. Considering that New Jerseyans are the ones who are going to have to live with the after-effects of insecurity at our ports, and that New Jersey resources will be used to defend and secure the ports, that we were left out of the approval process is unconscionable and inexcusable.”