Why it Matters
The Coast Guard reported about $448 million in environmental liabilities for fiscal year 2025, but a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report published July 14 found the service hasn't told Congress about hundreds of millions of dollars in additional potential cleanup costs. The Coast Guard manages hundreds of sites, such as boat and air stations, from which it conducts maritime safety and security operations.
The Big Picture
As of September 2025, the Coast Guard's $448 million in reported environmental liabilities included about $228 million for structures like housing presumed contaminated with asbestos or lead-based paint due to their age, and about $220 million for cleanup projects at sites with a known or suspected release of contaminants. The GAO found that additional factors, including properties potentially contaminated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or so-called forever chemicals, could raise the Coast Guard's fiscal exposure by hundreds of millions of dollars beyond what it currently reports.
The GAO also found the Coast Guard has not fully incorporated risk-informed decision making into how it manages its environmental liabilities program, largely because it lacks a long-term strategy defining the program's objectives. The agency is recommending that the Coast Guard expand the information it provides Congress on its fiscal exposure to environmental liabilities and develop a long-term strategy for managing the program. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agreed with both recommendations, and both remain listed as open.
The Bottom Line
With the DHS on board, the outstanding question is execution. Congress won't get a fuller picture of the Coast Guard's cleanup liabilities, including its exposure to forever-chemical contamination, until the agency follows through on both open recommendations.
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