Curtis Bay Coast Guard Yard
The US Coast Guard has been conducting vessel construction repairs at Curtis Bay since the turn of the century. The Baltimore MD facility is the sole shipbuilding and primary repair facility for the Coast Guard's fleet. It is the hub of the Coast Guards industrial complex and is an important component of fleet operations.
Since its origins as a repair facility and Coast Guard training academy in 1899, Curtis Bay has grown tremendously. By 1910 it was a full-service ship production and repair yard. At the advent of WWII, Curtis Bay boasted a civilian workforce of more than 3,000, with the war necessitating additional docking and piers. The shipyard continued to grow throughout the war, establishing itself as the premier Coast Guard shipyard. Production and service leveled off after the war, but the yard remained active through the 1970s. In the 1990s, the first major expansion to the Curtis Bay facility since WWII came in the form of the construction of a state-of-the-art ship-lift, with a 3,500 ton capacity. This new facility expanded the shipyard's capacity to handle repair and production of the Coast Guard's newer vessels.
Today, the shipyard occupies an immense 113-acre site approximately 6 miles south of downtown Baltimore. The Industrial Department forms the heart of daily operations at the Curtis Bay Coast Guard Yard, processing repairs, production, overhaul, and modernization of the Coast Guard's vessels. The expertise of the shipyard is not limited to one specialization, but rather prides itself in its ability to process any number of tasks. These include but are not limited to DC propulsion systems, hull repairs, sheet-metal fabrication, and Navy-certified ordnance repairs and overhauls. Other capabilities include completion of all shipboard piping, custom machining and manufacturing with specialties in diesel engine and reduction gear overhauls, in shaft alignment, electrical and electronics installation including radar, communications, and navigational equipment. Additionally, the Curtis Bay facility is the sole site of repairs for naval weapons systems employed by the Coast Guard, including the Saudi Arabian MK 75 76mm. gun. One of the more ambitious recent projects undertaken at Curtis Bay is an extensive 18-month renovation of 14 of the Coast Guard's 210' cutters, at a cost of nearly $21 million. The shipyard operates annually on a $60 million federal budget.
Due to the large civilian workforce, many members of the general community may have been exposed to harmful toxins while employed at the Curtis Bay Coast Guard Yard. Older vessels, such as those frequently repaired at Curtis Bay, have been particularly prone to asbestos exposures. Among those who may be at risk for particularly high levels of asbestosis exposure are pipe-fitters, boiler workers, insulators, drywall installations, electricians, and plumbers.
Were you ever employed by the Curtis Bay Coast Guard Yard and now suffering from mesothelioma or other respiratory ailments? Are you aware of your legal rights as a victim of mesothelioma? If you have any questions regarding the social, medical, and legal support systems in place, please order our Mesothelioma Information Kit.
