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Coast Guard: Decision to Phase Out Curtis Bay Yard Is Inadequately Supported

RCED-89-29 Published: Oct 07, 1988. Publicly Released: Oct 17, 1988.
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Highlights

In response to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the proposed phaseout of industrial operations at the U.S. Coast Guard Yard at Curtis Bay, Maryland.

Recommendations

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Transportation In order to develop more complete information upon which to base a decision on maintaining or phasing out the industrial activities of the Curtis Bay Yard, the Secretary of Transportation should direct the Commandant, Coast Guard, to identify and weigh the importance of the intangible benefits of maintaining the only ship repair and construction facility under Coast Guard control.
Closed – Not Implemented
Because the Coast Guard had such poor data to support its proposed closing of the Yard, Congress directed that the Yard be kept open. Since Congress directed that the Yard be kept open, this recommendation is no longer applicable.
Department of Transportation In order to develop more complete information upon which to base a decision on maintaining or phasing out the industrial activities of the Curtis Bay Yard, the Secretary of Transportation should direct the Commandant, Coast Guard, to evaluate the feasibility of the less costly alternatives to modernize the Yard laid out in the Yard's 1987 Master Plan and develop a more precise estimate of future modernization costs.
Closed – Not Implemented
Since Congress directed that the Yard remain open, this recommendation is no longer applicable.
Department of Transportation The Secretary of Transportation should adequately justify the required waiver, if the decision is made to terminate the Yard's essential logistics industrial activities. At a minimum, the justification should resolve inconsistencies in existing planning documents with respect to future work that could be done at the Yard and include the reasons why the Yard's technical personnel and base facilities are no longer necessary to ensure the effective and timely performance of the Coast Guard's missions under varying contingency operations.
Closed – Not Implemented
Since Congress directed that the Yard remain open, this recommendation is no longer applicable.

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Topics

Construction costsContract costsCost effectiveness analysisFacility maintenanceRepair contractsRepair costsShipyardsFacility terminationMilitary forcesConstruction