Coast Guard Infrastructure Crisis: Maintenance Backlog Soars to $7 Billion as Facilities Deteriorate

The U.S. Coast Guard is facing a mounting infrastructure crisis, with maintenance backlogs reaching a staggering $7 billion as of June 2024, according to a new U.S. Government Accountability Office report. This represents a dramatic increase from the $2.6 billion reported in 2019.

The agency’s nearly 40,000 shore infrastructure assets, including critical facilities like boat stations, piers, and operational buildings, are in “mediocre to fair” condition, according to the Coast Guard’s 2023 internal assessment. Nearly half of these assets are operating beyond their intended service life.

“Years of deferred maintenance have contributed to the backlog’s growth,” Coast Guard officials reported. Making matters worse, presidential budget requests from FY 2019 to FY 2025 have consistently fallen short of the funding levels the Coast Guard identifies as necessary for proper maintenance.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) reports that while the Coast Guard has made some progress in implementing recommended improvements, it still lacks crucial tools for analyzing trade-offs and predicting investment outcomes that could help manage maintenance costs.

The scope of this infrastructure challenge extends far beyond just piers and lighthouses. The Coast Guard’s shore infrastructure includes essential facilities such as housing units, training centers, and command centers that direct missions protecting over 100,000 miles of U.S. coastline and inland waterways.