The State Ports Authority also has received money from the federal Transportation Security Administration for security projects, but much less than had been requested.

The $14 million will support projects spearheaded by the National Law Enforcement Corrections and Technology Center-Southeast, a federal agency linked to the South Carolina Research Authority center in North Charleston.

"Our job is to (handle) the grants and train (state and local) law enforcement agencies on new developments," said Bill Nettles, deputy director of the technology center. The grants are channeled through the state research authority.

U.S. Sen. Fritz Hollings, D-S.C., disclosed the grants Monday. The money will be spent as follows:

-- $7,421,000 for work with the 20 agencies participating in Project Seahawk, the nation's first port security command and control center, to be in Charleston. Once Project Seahawk is operational, the center also will recommend new equipment and enhancements.

-- $989,000 for a new law enforcement communications system. Earlier funding helped update communications systems to an 800 mega-hertz radio system for 16 counties. The new funds will help law enforcement agencies in small towns enter the system.

-- $4,253,000 for a project with the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command to develop a voice communication system known as Software Radio for law enforcement agencies. Software Radio will allow law enforcement officers who operate radios on different bands to communicate with each other.

-- $2,473,000 for the Low Country Information Technology Improvement Project that will integrate the information systems of six law enforcement agencies in South Carolina.

-- $890,000 for the U.S. Attorney General's Safe Neighborhoods Initiative. This includes a gunshot location system in Charleston and North Charleston. The funds will buy enhancements to the system that's been under development for the past two years.

"The $14 million will go a long way to make us safer," Hollings said. "It will improve our homeland security efforts and enhance our ability to respond quickly and efficiently to public safety incidents."

Last week, the federal Transportation Security Administration gave the State Ports Authority $237,000 to beef up security at its terminals -- far short of the $3.2 million the authority requested.

The new money, announced Friday, will cover a fencing project and about half the cost of upgrades to systems that control access to the terminals. Money needed for surveillance and lighting upgrades was turned down.

"We certainly appreciate the help, but there are still unfunded mandates," said Bernard S. Groseclose Jr., the authority's president and chief executive officer. "The financial burden of meeting the federal requirements is significant to local ports and communities."

Since 9-11, the authority's security expenses have risen from $2 million to more than $4 million this fiscal year.

While federal grants have funded some of the capital costs, such as fencing, lighting and surveillance, the increasing personnel expenses have fallen entirely on the authority's shoulders.

To partially offset the additional costs of port security, the authority implemented a terminal security surcharge on July 1. The charge is based on the length of the vessels calling the state's ports. At $1 per foot, the surcharge could generate $1 million annually.

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