Projected savings of closing New London base overestimated

The Pentagon's savings projection for closing the New London Submarine Base was about $400 million too high, according to a recent analysis conducted by GAO.

In a letter last Wednesday to the independent Base Closure and Realignment Commission, GAO said shuttering the Connecticut base would save only $1.2 billion, largely because the Pentagon low-balled the costs of construction and relocation.

Defense Department officials also overstated by more than 200 slots the number of civilian positions that would be eliminated as a result of the closure.

"These findings by the GAO are yet another independent confirmation that the Pentagon's numbers simply don't add up," Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., said in a statement. "This analysis clearly indicates that closing the Sub Base New London will cost the American taxpayer more and not less."

Connecticut lawmakers compiled their own projections on the potential New London closure, concluding that it would cost at least $640 million over the next 20 years and yield no savings.

The Connecticut estimate takes into account a wider array of costs than the GAO or Defense Department analyses, including an estimated $125 million for environmental cleanup at the base.