The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced last week that the Restoration Advisory Board (RAB) members have been selected for the Buxton Formerly Used Defense Site (FUDS) property, a former Naval facility located at the end of Old Lighthouse Road.
The 11 members of the RAB are as follows:
- Mary Ellon Balance
- Brett Barley
- Sheila Davies
- Alyson Flynn
- Michael Gould
- Betsy Gwin
- Brian Harris
- Meaghan Johnson
- Stewart Nelson
- Carla Reynolds
- Lat Williams
The RAB selection panel was comprised of community members and government officials, and the panel nominated board members from a list of community participants who acknowledged an interest in serving as RAB members.
The first RAB meeting is scheduled for April 10 at 6:30 p.m. and is open to the public. The RAB meeting will be held at the Cape Hatteras Anglers Club at 47231 Light Plant Road in Buxton.
As outlined by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) at a Nov. 4 meeting, RABs are designed to bring the community together—in a more formal and structured manner than a typical public meeting—to enable the exchange of restoration information between regulatory agencies, the USACE, and interested community members.
Although they are not a decision-making group, members of a Restoration Advisory Board can influence the cleanup decisions through discussions of ideas, concerns, questions, and by providing direct feedback to the USACE and regulatory agencies. Meetings are formal but are open to the public.
Following a 60-day response action by the USACE, the next step for the Buxton FUDS property is a comprehensive soil and groundwater sampling project.
A contract for the sampling project was awarded on Nov. 14, 2024, and the kick-off meeting was held on Dec. 6, 2024. The Corps’ FUDS team continues to review the work plan and associated documents in preparation for the field efforts.
Currently, discussions on the project approach have led to an unanticipated delay in developing and accepting the work plan. However, reviews and discussions will continue so that the work plan can be accepted by the team and reviewed by other stakeholder agencies.
There’s hope that this upcoming soil and groundwater sampling plan will provide more answers, as it will examine the entire 50-acre Buxton Naval Facility site, focusing on areas that have historically had less investigation work, and where access was previously limited by buildings, roads or subsurface infrastructure.
However, and per the USACE, it could take 60-90 days before a final work plan is accepted and the sampling work can commence.
- For more information from the USACE, visit their Buxton Naval Facility FUDS website.
- For more information from the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, visit their Buxton Beach Access website.
- Developing info from the Buxton Civic Association (BCA) can also be accessed via the organization’s website at BuxtonCivic.com or through the BCA’s official Facebook page.
