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September 26, 2006 4:00 PM, EDT

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he Department of ºÚÁϳԹÏÍøland Security on Monday awarded $4.8 million in funding to American Trucking Associations for its Highway Watch program.

he funding, which was allocated in July, is provided under the department's Trucking Security Program. The truck program is part of the DHS Infrastructure Protection Program. The Highway Watch grant came as part of $399 million in funding for various infrastructure security programs, including transit and port security, for the 2006 fiscal year.

he agency said the funds will be distributed to ATA’s Highway Watch program for participant identification and recruitment efforts and will also help maintain a full-time Highway Watch call center and operate the program’s Information Sharing and Analysis Center.

ince fiscal 2003, DHS has given more than $50 million to ATA under the Trucking Security Program. ATA is the only group eligible to recieve funds under the program, DHS said.