NY area's first body scanner unveiled at Kennedy

Marshaling technology in the fight against terrorists, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security unveiled a new full-body scanner Friday at Kennedy Airport in Queens - a device aimed at protection that some have criticized as invading individuals' privacy.

"These machines represent an important way to stay ahead of the ever-evolving threat," U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said at Kennedy's Terminal 8.

The scanner at Kennedy is the first for New York-area airports, Transportation Security Administration officials said. The TSA has installed 305 scanners at 62 airports so far; 450 machines eventually will be installed nationwide.

The scanners can reveal nonmetallic weapons or chemical explosives concealed on the body.

They have been controversial because they furnish TSA workers with an image of the unclothed body, which sparked privacy concerns. The TSA has taken steps to address the issue, Napolitano said.

"Those who read the images are not physically at the gate," Napolitano said. A TSA worker in a remote viewing booth sees an image of the body, resembling a chalk outline, but concealed objects are visible as a contrasting image against the body outline.

Also, she said, scanner images are deleted after viewing.

The deployment of the scanners comes after officials say Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab tried to blow up a commercial airliner last Christmas on a flight to Detroit from Amsterdam with a bomb concealed in his underwear.

In addition to questions about privacy, TSA officials Friday fielded queries about health concerns. Napolitano said studies have proved that exposure to radiation from the scanners, formally known as Advanced Imaging Technology machines, isn't harmful for travelers.

"The machines have been tested and retested," Napolitano said. "The risk is so low that it's hardly measurable at all."

Another issue is wait time to be scanned. The scan itself takes about five seconds, and another 15 seconds is needed for TSA agents to view the images, said Greg Soule, a spokesman for the TSA.

The scanners are optional for travelers. Those who don't want to be scanned can pass through metal detectors and submit to a pat-down by TSA agents.

Still, there are detractors. Last week, a pilot with ExpressJet was prevented from clearing security at Memphis International Airport after he refused to go through a full-body scanner, nor would he submit to a pat-down.

According to news accounts, pilot Michael Roberts said he believes the scanners are intrusive and are the equivalent to a virtual strip-search. Roberts is waiting to see if his protest will cost him his job.