Because of “strong petroleum smells” noted early Thursday, the Cape Hatteras National Seashore staff has temporarily expanded the boundaries of a previously closed section of Buxton beach adjacent to a former military site.
About 0.2 miles of beachfront where the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard had bases from 1956 until 2010 have remained closed since Sept. 1, 2023, “after naturally occurring barrier island erosion uncovered potentially hazardous infrastructure associated with the Navy and Coast Guard bases and visitors reported a strong smell of petroleum.” Since then, the park staff has been working with other agencies to mitigate the issue.
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Staff said that over the past 24 to 36 hours, several feet of sand had washed away, exposing the soil and groundwater. The erosion uncovered a significant amount of hazardous remnant Navy and Coast Guard infrastructure, such as concrete, rebar, wires, PVC and metal pipes, metal fragments, and cables that have been left in the ground.
Around 8:30 a.m. Thursday, staff reminded visitors that the 0.3-mile-long section of beach was closed at what is now the Buxton Formerly Used Defense Site, or FUDS, because the “soil and groundwater that is apparently contaminated with petroleum from historic military use of the site is now exposed to the beachfront during low tide, and wave action during high tide.”
About an hour later and after consulting Dare County Department of Health and Human services, staff said the closure had been expanded 0.25 miles south of the old lighthouse jetties. The closure includes the beach in front of the southern groin and the Old Lighthouse Beach parking areas.
“The odors were impacting the area due to the strong northeast winds and erosion which is apparently exposing historic petroleum contamination at the FUDS,” according to the 9:30 a.m. Thursday update.
Seashore staff reported the observed petroleum exposure to the National Response Center, operated by the Coast Guard, Army Corps of Engineers and other state agencies that assist with pollution response. Staff also asked the interagency Regional Response Team, which coordinates response and provide technical advice during oil spills or pollution events, for help.
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The closure may change over the coming days based on ongoing field observations and will update the public as information comes available, staff said.
Historical information about the former military site is at http://go.nps.gov/buxtonbeach. Recent and historical photos of the site are in the Buxton Beach Access photo album.
