The US Department of Homeland Security has said it will provide almost half a billion dollars to combat terrorism risks.

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said the money would be funneled into cities with ports, chemical and power plants to reduce the risks for a repeat of the terrorist attacks of 2001.

However Chertoff said.” We're simply not going to give the money out without any accountability.''

Nearly half the grant money, $201 million, would be used to secure ports and rail systems, including Amtrak. The Port of New York and New Jersey would get the biggest share, $27.2 million.

Chertoff's announcement came as New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg complained during a Senate hearing that his city was long overdue in getting its fair share of antiterrorism grants. He compared the current system to spreading dollars "across the country like peanut butter''.

"For the sake of New York City and the security of our nation, I hope you will stop writing politically derived formulas into homeland security bills,'' Bloomberg told the Senate Homeland Security Committee, which is considering further legislation to enact recommendations of the 9/11 commission.

Seven other ports qualified for Tier 1, or highest risk status. Those included the ports in the New Orleans region, devastated by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The ports will get $17.3 million, followed by $15.7 million for the Houston area.