Sea-Tac getting full-body scanners
Posted on January 7, 2010 at 2:33 PM
SEATTLE - Officials at Sea-Tac International Airport say the facility will be installing full-body scanners sometime this year.
KING 5 News has learned the number is still unclear but could be as few as five machines.
Nineteen other U.S. airports are now using the controversial full-body scanners -- which can "see" through clothing -- but only six of those airports are using the scanners as a primary screening method. The others, according to the Transportation Security Administration, are using the scanners as secondary screening, meaning that if someone arouses suspicion or screeners want to take a closer look the person sent to the full-body scanner.
At this point, it is unclear how Sea-Tac will be using the scanners.
In December, just after the attempted Christmas Day bombing of a U.S.-bound airliner, CNN reported that 150 new full-body scanning machines are set to be placed in airports across the United States as federal authorities work to close security loopholes exposed by the failed attempt.
Today, the TSA announced it is purchasing 300 units, at a cost of some $170,000, apiece by 2010.
There are two types of full body scanners. One uses so-called "backscatter" technology to produce an x-ray image of a person. The other uses millimeter-wave technology, which shows a detailed photo negative.
Use of the scanning technology has been described as being overly invasive by critics.
The suspect in the attempted attack, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, boarded Northwest flight 253 in Amsterdam but did not go through a full-body scanner.
Fearing a rift with the United States, the European Union said Thursday it may force resistant member states to use the full-body scanners being pushed by the Obama administration.
Britain, the Netherlands and Italy already have joined Washington in announcing plans to install more of the devices. But there are deep divisions among European nations, with countries such as Spain and Germany calling the scanners intrusive and a potential health risk.
CNN and Associated Press contributed to this report.