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Organization and Operations

Headquarters Laboratories and Scientific Services Staff
Research Laboratory
New York Laboratory
Chicago Laboratory
Savannah Laboratory
New Orleans Laboratory
Los Angeles Laboratory
San Juan Laboratory

Headquarters Laboratories and Scientific Services Staff
Headquarters Science Officers and support staff provide operational and administrative management and oversight of the laboratory system.
Customs Mobile Lab
Customs and Border Protection
1300 Pennsylvania Ave., Suite 1500 North
Washington, D.C. 20229

Voice: (202) 344-1060
FAX: (202) 344-2060
cbp.labhq@dhs.gov

Headquarters science officers plan, coordinate, and execute support operations in three major areas: trade enforcement; weapons of mass destruction recognition and interdiction; and crime scene and forensics.

Science officers also issue technical opinions to the Office of Regulations and Rulings. Other major functions are the advice on World Customs Organization issues and the management of the CBP Gauger/Laboratory Accreditation program.


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Research Laboratory
The Research Laboratory is a centralized research facility which provides scientific support to CBP Headquarters and the Field Laboratories.
Research Laboratory
Customs and Border Protection
7501 Boston Blvd., Suite 113
Springfield, VA 22153

Voice: (703) 921-7200
FAX : (703) 921-7155
cbp.labresearch@dhs.gov


Activities
The Research Laboratory was established in 1970 to provide a central focus for research in the CBP Laboratory System. The Laboratory develops new analytical methods and evaluates new instrumentation for application by the Field Laboratories. Analytical services are also provided to CBP legal and regulatory functions and to other Headquarters Offices which may need scientific support including Quality Assurance for the CBP Drug Screening Program and technical assistance for the Canine Enforcement Program and for international drug training programs. The Research Laboratory is an important resource in addressing tariff classification issues for high technology products, in developing statistical data to confirm the country of origin of imported commodities, and in providing a sound technical foundation for Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) enforcement involving copyrights, trademarks and patents.

The activities of the Research Laboratory are varied in supporting CBP commercial and enforcement mission. The Laboratory conducts programs to ensure analytical uniformity among the Field Laboratories and maintains technical and scientific exchange with other federal enforcement agencies, technological branches of foreign customs agencies and the military.

The Laboratory is well equipped to meet its research objectives with a staff of research scientists and state-of-the art instrumentation including a Fourier-transform infrared spectrophotometer (FTIR), high resolution inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometer (HR-ICP-MS), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and capillary electrophoresis equipment.


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New York Laboratory
The New York Laboratory services the New York seaport, the Port of Newark and JFK airport.
New York Laboratory
Bureau of Customs and Border Protection
1100 Raymond Blvd
Newark, NJ 07102

Voice: (973) 368-1900
FAX : (973) 368-1905
cbp.labny@dhs.gov

Functions
During the course of the year, the laboratory's technical staff, consisting of chemists, textile technologists, and support staff examines the full range of commodities covered by the Harmonized Tariff of the United States including crude petroleum, building stone, textiles and a variety of food products. In addition to the analysis of imported merchandise the New York Laboratory

Specializations
Metals, chemicals, textiles and footwear, building stone, consumer products, polymers and plastics, paper and food products represent the laboratory's major areas of expertise.

Mobile Operations
The laboratory conducts mobile operations with its own van at JFK and Newark on a regular basis. Mobile operations for examining steel are conducted at the Port of Albany as needed.


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Chicago Laboratory
Service Area
The Chicago Laboratory services all of the New England states, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Michigan, Kansas, Missouri, Indiana, part of Minnesota, and New York except the New York City Metro area.

Location and Contact Information
The Laboratory is located on the eleventh floor of Chicago's Customhouse. The mailing address and telephone number are:
Director
Chicago Laboratory
Customs and Border Protection
610 South Canal St., Suite 1100
Chicago, IL 60607

Voice: (312) 983-9300
FAX : (312) 886-2210
cbp.labch@dhs.gov

Functions
The Chicago Laboratory is a full-service laboratory, providing technical advice and analytical services to CBP officers and other entities on a wide range of issues and imported commodities. These services assist CBP officers in meeting the CBP missions of collecting revenue based on import duties and enforcing CBP and related laws.

The staff consists of 23 employees most of whom are chemists and textile analysts. In addition to providing technical advice and analytical assistance, they actively participate in national and international scientific organizations to improve methods of analysis and promote uniformity.

Specializations
The Chicago Laboratory has CBP only tensile tester capable of determining certain physical characteristics of industrial fasteners and other steel articles. The Laboratory has had a strong involvement in the geological identification of building stones under the harmonized tariff schedule. Because of its northern location, NAFTA issues and Canadian merchandise are prevalent.

In the forensics area, the Chicago Laboratory is, at present, the only CBP laboratory with the capability to enhance video and audio tapes for CBP officers. The Laboratory also has a mini photoprocessor to develop standard color print film, can provide enlargements, and process black-and-white film.


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Savannah Laboratory
Service Area
The Savannah Customs Laboratory serves ports from Philadelphia, PA to Key West, FL.

Location and Telephone Number
The Savannah Customs Laboratory is located on Bourne Boulevard in Savannah, Ga. The mailing address and telephone numbers are as follows:
Director
Savannah Laboratory
Customs and Border Protection
214 Bourne Boulevard
S.P.A Industrial Park
Savannah, GA 31408

Voice: (912) 447-6500
FAX: (912) 447-6506
cbp.labsv@dhs.gov

Functions
The Savannah Laboratory was established in 1918 for the purpose of analyzing raw sugar imported by the Savannah Sugar Refining Corporation. Once a one room "sugar operation" located in the historic Savannah Customhouse, today the Savannah Laboratory is a 20,000 square foot facility.

The laboratory is a full-service analytical laboratory with capabilities for chemical and physical testing of all types of commodities, narcotics and other controlled substances.

The Savannah Laboratory has a technical staff of nineteen and an administrative support staff of three.

Specializations
Laboratory specializations are generally related to textile and apparel analyses. The laboratory is designated as CBP testing facility for wool which includes determining clean content and wool grade. Additionally, the laboratory is uniquely capable of determining if upholstery fabrics meet tariff requirements and for determining tensile strengths of textile products.

To address country-of-origin issues, the Savannah Laboratory is actively developing trace element profile and SNIF-NMR technologies.

Because of its close proximity to the CBP training facility at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) in Glynco, GA, the Savannah Laboratory provides specialized technical training to CBP officers and provides support to the agency's International CBP Training program.

Mobile Operations
The Savannah Laboratory operates a mobile laboratory to meet the onsite testing needs of Southeastern U.S. Ports. The unit is a state-of-the-art, custom-built vehicle capable of simultaneously housing image analysis instrumentation, mobile metal analyzer, IPR electronic testing equipment, GC/MS instrumentation, UV and IR spectrophotometers as well as conventional "wet" chemistry apparatus.


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New Orleans Laboratory
Service Area
The New Orleans Laboratory provides scientific services to all of the Ports of Entry in the following nine states: Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. This geographic area contains 90% of the border between the United States and Mexico.

Location and Contact Information
The laboratory is located in the historic Customhouse near the edge of the French Quarter in New Orleans. The mailing address and telephone numbers are:
Director
New Orleans Laboratory
Customs and Border Protection
Customhouse-Room 326
423 Canal Street
New Orleans, LA 70130

Voice: (504) 670-2276
FAX : (504) 670-2229
cbp.labno@dhs.gov

Functions
Circa 1900 Mr. Walter L. Howell was appointed as the Chief Chemist of the New Orleans Laboratory. He and his staff of 3 chemists, a clerk-stenographer, and a laborer, were assigned the responsibilities of chemically examining and analyzing Customs samples of merchandise imported through the ports in Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and much of Texas. The majority of samples analyzed within the laboratory were sugars and molasses. The laboratory was located then, as it still is, at the Customhouse in New Orleans. Today the laboratory has a staff of 15 chemists, two textile scientists, one biologist, two physical science technicians, and an administrative staff of two. The laboratory demonstrates a strong commitment to the education of future scientists by employing two to four undergraduate science students on a part time basis.

The services provided by the New Orleans Laboratory include analyses of a broad range of imported and exported commodities and merchandise to determine whether said merchandise is properly described by the required documentation or identified as contraband according to its physical and chemical nature. This laboratory is also responsible for providing technical support in areas such as drawback, classification issues, regulatory audit functions as well as for criminal and civil investigations.

Specializations
In addition to the normal work of a CBP Field Laboratory, the New Orleans Laboratory has three areas of specialization:

Mobile Operations
During the mid-80's, when steel importations reached a keen economic and political interest, the New Orleans Laboratory was the first to utilize mobile equipment to analyze steel at dockside. The success of these operations led to the expansion of mobile operations to the other CBP field laboratories. The laboratory has two minivans, one cargo van, and one 36-foot vehicle that are used as mobile laboratories to support special operations throughout its service area.


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Los Angeles Laboratory
Service Area
The laboratory services CBP ports of Southern California, including Los Angeles/Long Beach and San Diego.

Location and Telephone Number
The Los Angeles Customs Laboratory, a state-of-the-art facility completed in late 1996, is located in the old auction warehouse area of the Customhouse, Terminal Island (San Pedro), CA. The mailing address and telephone number are the following:
Director
Los Angeles Laboratory
Customs and Border Protection
300 S. Ferry Street, Suite 1300
San Pedro, CA 90731-7495

Voice: (310) 514-6184
FAX : (310) 514-6329
cbp.labla@dhs.gov


Functions
Within its service area, the Los Angeles Laboratory:

Specializations
Textiles analysis (mostly finished wearing apparel) and specialized textile analyses such as printed/dyed fabrics and hand/power-loomed fabrics. Intellectual Property Rights analysis, motor testing, hazardous materials handling and analysis.

Mobile Operations
The laboratory has a small mobile van for use at local containerized examination stations, dockside, LAX, and remote locations such as Otay Mesa, Calexico, and San Ysidro, CA.

San Francisco Laboratory
Service Area
The laboratory serves the northern two-thirds of California, as well as the states of Oregon, Washington, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Alaska, Hawaii, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, Montana, and Idaho. Major ports located in this service area include San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, Blaine, Anchorage, Honolulu, and Denver.

Location and Contact Information
The San Francisco CBP Laboratory is located in the Appraiser's Building in San Francisco's Financial District. The mailing address and telephone numbers are as follows:
Director
San Francisco Laboratory
Customs and Border Protection
630 Sansome Street, Room 1407
San Francisco, CA 94111

Voice: (415) 844-5744
FAX : (415) 844-5757
cbp.labsf@dhs.gov

Functions
The San Francisco Laboratory is a full-service laboratory that provides technical advice and analytical services to the CBP officials and other agencies on a wide range of imported and exported commodities. Available to the technical staff are analytical instruments such as optical spectrophotometers, scanning electron microscope, gas chromatograph-mass spectrometers, gas and liquid chromatograph, and X-ray diffractometers and spectrographs.

Many samples of wearing apparel, footwear, building stone, metal products, foods, beverages, chemicals and controlled substances are analyzed each year in the laboratory. Expedited services are provided on samples involving intellectual property rights (IPR), textiles that require quota and visa and forensics. If samples cannot be brought to the laboratory, mobile laboratories are available to conduct on-site examinations.

Specializations
Because of the Laboratory's location on the Pacific Rim, there is an emphasis and greater expertise in that commerce which includes: textiles, including intermediates of the manufacturing process as well as finished wearing apparel; oriental food and beverages; and electronics.

Because of the very significant value of petroleum importations, the Laboratory specializes in petroleum chemistry. A special emphasis of this work targets the country of origin of crude oil and some of its finished products such as aviation fuel.

Mobile Operations
The San Francisco Laboratory operates a small mobile laboratory unit which is utilized throughout its service area in the Northwestern United States to provide on-site analyses of commercial shipments and training for local CBP officers. Mobile equipment, coupled with expertise and needs cause the focus to be on textiles and IPR issues during these operations, with training being provided across the entire spectrum of work.


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San Juan Laboratory
Service Area
The San Juan Laboratory serves the ports of Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands.

Location and Contact Information
The San Juan Laboratory is located in the Customshouse in Old San Juan. The mailing address and telephone numbers are as follows:
Director
San Juan Laboratory
Customs and Border Protection
1 La Puntilla, Room 125
San Juan, PR 00901

Voice: (787) 729-6967
FAX : (787) 729-6650
cbp.labsj@dhs.gov

Functions
The San Juan Laboratory is a full-service analytical laboratory with capabilities for chemical and physical testing of all wide variety of importations and forensic samples. The San Juan Laboratory has a professional staff smaller than their CONUS counterparts but able to meet the same technical and administrative tasks efficiently and timely.

Specializations
Each laboratory analyst is capable of working a wide range of sample types. However, most of the specialization has been in the area of forensic samples. The San Juan Laboratory provides vital training to local and foreign law enforcement officials such as Weapons of Mass Destruction, and Radiation Material Detection, crime scene management, and field test kits.

Accreditation
The San Juan Laboratory is accredited to the international standard ISO/IEC 17025, "General Requirements for the Competence of Testing and Calibration Laboratories".

Mobile Operations
The San Juan Laboratory mobile operations are evolving to encompass more active participation in WMD activities, forensic analysis and crime scene management.

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