U.S. Army Corps of Engineers provides update on upcoming actions for former Buxton Naval Facility

The following press release was issued by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on Monday afternoon, April 29.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah District, will take further action on the former U.S. Navy facility at Buxton, North Carolina, under the Formerly Used Defense Sites Program, removing a pipe and sampling the surrounding soil to determine if it is the potential source of the reported petroleum.

The National Park Service, working in partnership with the Army Corps of Engineers, reported the discovery of the pipe to the Savannah District. The pipe was recently exposed after storms eroded more of the beach area. The Army Corps of Engineers is in the process of awarding a contract to remove the pipe and sample the surrounding soil. The contract is anticipated to be awarded by September 2024, with work to begin in late 2024 or early 2025.

The Army Corps of Engineers will also establish a Restoration Advisory Board as part of the pipe removal contract. A RAB serves as a forum for discussion and exchange of information between agencies and affected communities. However, the FUDS Program team members are always available for questions. Please send questions anytime to cesas-FUDS@usace.army.mil (with ‘Buxton FUDS’ in the subject line), and a team member will respond.

Like all government programs, the use of the FUDS Program has its limitations and is dependent on funding approved by Congress. All FUDS Program remediation efforts are authorized by Congress and are restricted to cleaning up properties formerly owned by, leased to, or otherwise possessed by the United States and transferred outside DoD control prior to Oct. 17, 1986.

The FUDS Program may only address restoration activities which are determined to be the result of DoD activities. However, the remnant infrastructures, exposed on the beach after storm erosion, are not eligible for removal under the FUDS Program, as those structures were not in an unsafe condition at the time the site was transferred out of DoD control.

The DoD tasked the U.S. Army with carrying out the FUDS Program and delegated the execution to the Army Corps of Engineers. The Army Corps of Engineers is committed to advancing remediation efforts authorized under the FUDS program to protect the health and well-being of communities and the environment.

The Summary Report has been shared with other agencies for review, and once the process is complete, the final report will be posted to the Savannah District’s website. To learn more about the project from the Corps, visit Buxton FUDS.

“We are pleased to learn that the Army Corps of Engineers has identified an authority and funding to remove one of the known sources of petroleum—a rusty pipe that became exposed as a result of erosion events over the past several months,” stated Michael Barber, Public Affairs Specialist for the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, in response to the press release. “The pipe, which is located within the Corps’ Buxton formerly used defense site, was sampled in February 2024 by [the] Cape Hatteras National Seashore. The results of two small samples of sand taken from the end of the pipe found petroleum contamination above the state action level.”

To view the Island Free Press’ recent coverage of this evolving story, refer to the articles below, which are listed in chronological order.

• “No immediate solution in sight for Buxton Beach” – Published on February 19
• “CHNS launches new web page on Buxton Beach’s history and current environmental issues” – Published on February 25
• “Sounding the alarm for Buxton Beach” – Published on February 27
• “Dare County Board of Commissioners take a united front on the issue of Buxton Beach” – Published on March 5
• “Local officials are taking steps to warn the public about Buxton Beach while investigations continue” – Published on March 8
• “National Seashore temporarily expands beach closure at Buxton Beach Access due to petroleum odors and sheen on water” – Published on March 24
• “Dare County issues new Precautionary Public Health Advisory for Buxton Beach” – Published on March 25
• “Understanding the issues at Buxton Beach – An FAQ Guide” – Published on March 25
• “Corps of Engineers completes report on Buxton Beach contamination” – Published on March 27
• “Hatteras Islanders launch campaign to initiate immediate action at Buxton Beach” – Published on March 28
• “Frustrations simmer at public meeting on Buxton Beach” – Published on March 28
• “Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce requests immediate action at Buxton Beach” – Published on April 1
• “New Buxton Civic Association launched to facilitate action at Buxton Beach”– Published on April 2
• “SELC joins Buxton Civic Association to push for action at Buxton Beach” – Published on April 16
• “Buxton Civic Association launches online petition for immediate action at Buxton Beach” – Published on April 22
• “North Carolina Coastal Federation launches new webpage on Buxton Beach contamination” – Published on April 27
• “North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality demands action on Buxton Beach issues” – Published on April 28