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Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) awarded more than $9.6 million to the Virginia Department of Emergency Management and Office of Commonwealth Preparedness to help bolster transportation security, such as for ports and transit systems.

Norfolk Southern Railway will receive a $724,250 freight and railway program grant directly from DHS to “protect critical surface transportation infrastructure from acts of terrorism, major disasters and other emergencies,” according to DHS. In addition, the federal agency will directly provide port security grant program funds to Virginia ports in Hampton Roads ($4.3 million) and Richmond ($625,000).

The commonwealth of Virginia will receive a $1.2 million interoperable emergency communications grant and $600,000 buffer zone protection grant.

The grant awards are part of a first release of federal security dollars; funds should be released by August, according to DHS. A second round of grant awards is scheduled to be announced next month.