New OIG report on CBP ag inspections

Here is the link to a report by the Office of Inspectors General that critiques the Custom and Border Protection agriculture inspection activities. The report is 59 pages in a PDF file.

Here is a blog entry from The Hill authored by Sen. Tom Harkin on the OIG report. Harkin writes:

Nearly one year after the Government Accountability Office found significant gaps that could allow agricultural diseases into the U.S., a report released Friday by the offices of the Inspector General for both the Departments of Agriculture and Homeland Security confirmed our ports and border are still porous. The offices released a report citing 13 recommendations that would defend the border and ports of entry from dangerous foreign pests and diseases such as the H5N1 strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza and foot and mouth disease. While some recommendations from this report have been implemented, USDA and DHS should implement all of them immediately.


TK: Industry leaders in Florida and California have raised concerns about the government's commitment to keep out invasive pests, and the OIG report certainly provides more ammunition for those arguments.