Read Letter to TSA Administrator Admiral James Loy

Senators Say TSA Wastes $17 Million Paying to Dispose of Confiscated Items at Airports
National charities express interest in providing free service

November 5, 2003

WASHINGTON, D.C. --- U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Byron Dorgan (D-ND) called on the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Wednesday to revisit a contract that pays a private firm $17 million of federal tax dollars to dispose of items confiscated at airport security checkpoints, most of which have substantial resale value. The private contractor is Science Applications International Corporation.

The firm has a five-year deal to dispose of items confiscated or surrendered at airport security screening check points.

Charitable organizations like Goodwill and Purple Heart, which were not consulted by TSA before the contract was let, tell the two Senators they would be very interested in making an arrangement with TSA to dispose of those items at no cost to the taxpayer, a process that would help needy people at the same time.

“It makes no sense to pay a private contractor $17 million to dispose of items which, in most cases, have substantial resale value,” the two wrote in a letter to Admiral James Loy, TSA Administrator.

“According to the National Airport’s Director of Security, the most common items confiscated at airports are scissors, Swiss Army knives, and Leatherman tools. The contract negotiated by TSA also called for the private firm to dispose of golf clubs, ski poles, drills and other such items.”

“We understand that in California, the Oakland and Sacramento airports alone donated thousands of confiscated items to state agencies, which in turn raised over $16,000 by selling them on E-Bay.”

“We have been in touch with the national offices of Goodwill and the Purple Heart who tell us that they would be very interested in taking a large number of the confiscated items from TSA – at no cost to the taxpayer – and selling them at thrift stores on through on-line charitable auctions.”

“Given the above, we request that you renegotiate the contract with the private firm, so as to involve charities to the maximum extent possible in the disposition of these confiscated items.”

“Although we expect that some of the items confiscated by TSA might involve hazardous materials, TSA officials tell us that the vast majority of confiscated items would not fall into that category. Significant savings could be derived from having non-hazardous items turned over to charitable organizations, rather than a paid contractor. ”

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