The U.S. Coast Guard reported about $448 million in environmental liabilities for shore infrastructure as of September 2025, according to a Government Accountability Office review released July 14.
The total included about $228 million for structures presumed, because of their age, to contain asbestos or lead-based paint. Another $220 million covered projects at sites with known or suspected contaminant releases.
GAO said the reported total does not capture every potential cost. Additional contamination can be discovered during cleanup, and some projects cannot yet be estimated with enough confidence to enter the accounting liability.
Properties that may contain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly called PFAS, could increase the government's fiscal exposure by hundreds of millions of dollars beyond the reported amount, the auditors said. That is a potential range, not a booked cost.
The Coast Guard manages a $28 billion inventory of shore assets, including boat stations, air stations, housing and lighthouses. Past operations and building materials have left contamination at some sites.
GAO found that the service had not developed a long-term strategy with defined program objectives and performance measures. The report said risk-based sequencing could help direct limited cleanup funds toward the greatest hazards and possible savings.
The auditors recommended that the commandant expand information provided to Congress, including projects that cannot yet be reasonably estimated and the scale of uncertainty in existing estimates.
A second recommendation calls for a long-term strategy that measures outcomes and evaluates ways to optimize cleanup projects. The Department of Homeland Security agreed with both recommendations, which GAO lists as open.
The $448 million figure is an accounting estimate for anticipated cleanup, not a final invoice. Actual costs can rise or fall as contamination is characterized, remedies are selected and work is completed.