This grant funding is bolstered by funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (AARA) which Senator Collins, along with a bipartisan group of Senators, helped craft and was signed into law earlier this year.
"This funding will help ensure that state-of-the-art technology is employed to boost security for passengers traveling through Maine's largest airport," said Senator Collins. "In addition to improved security, this infusion of stimulus funding will also help provide additional economic opportunities in Maine."
According to the Department of Homeland Security, it has obligated more than 30 percent of its ARRA funds to date, and is on track to obligate more than 50 percent by the end of September 2009. Of the $1 billion allocated to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) for aviation security projects, $700 million is dedicated to checked baggage explosives detection technology and $300 million is allocated for passenger checkpoint explosives detection technology.