North Carolina Coastal Federation launches new webpage on Buxton Beach contamination
The North Carolina Coastal Federation (NCCF) recently launched a new webpage on Buxton Beach with background information, resources, and details on how the NCCF has become involved in calling for action to fix the contaminated Buxton shoreline.
A three-tenths-of-a-mile section of the Buxton oceanfront has been closed since September 1, 2023, after two offshore hurricanes exposed old infrastructure and new petroleum smells at the site of a former military base that was used by the Navy and the U.S. Coast Guard from 1956-2010.
The area was designated a formerly used defense site (FUDS) in 1998 to allow the U.S. Corps of Engineers to conduct clean-up and structure removal efforts, and effectively restore the site to its pristine and pre-military condition, per the original 1956 agreement with the National Park Service to use the property.
“Since the site in Buxton originally tested positive for petroleum, the Federation has been gathering information and advocating for clean-up through multiple on-site visits, public meetings, and outreach to all agencies and organizations involved,” stated Alyson Flynn, Coastal Advocate and Environmental Economist for the NCCF.
“On April 5, we submitted a demand letter with the Southern Environmental Law Center to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers insisting they meet their legal obligation of hazardous material removal at this formerly used defense site. The purpose of launching this webpage is to serve as an information hub for our ongoing advocacy efforts; providing resources, documents, and important updates to our members and supporters.”
A copy of the April 5 letter sent by the NCCF and the Southern Environmental Law Center can be found here, and the NCCF’s new Buxton Beach webpage can be viewed here.
In addition, the Cape Hatteras National Seashore has its own webpage dedicated to the Buxton Beach issue, which also has a recently added FAQ section.
For more information on Buxton Beach, and how to get involved
- The Buxton Civic Association, which was formed as a community initiative to respond to the Buxton Beach issue, meets every Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. at the old Buxton Volunteer Fire Department building beside Burrus Field. The public is welcome and encouraged to attend.
- Developing info from the Buxton Civic Association (BCA) can be accessed via the organization’s new website at Buxtoncivic.com or through the BCA’s official Facebook page.
- The public can also join the ongoing email and letter-writing campaign, which was launched in mid-March by Buxton community members.
- Visitors who encounter a fuel smell or fuel sheens while visiting the Buxton shoreline near Old Lighthouse Road should call the National Response Center at 1-800-424-8802 to report the encounter. Include the date, time, location, and basic details of what was seen or smelled, and do not call if you have not experienced the issue first-hand, or have not been physically affected.
- For more information on the background of the current Buxton Beach issues from the Island Free Press, click here.
- Remember that while the environmental issues at Buxton Beach are considered to be a growing emergency, just three-tenths of a mile of the shoreline is closed, out of 75 miles of National Seashore. In short, the public can still visit and enjoy Buxton, and Hatteras Island in general. The primary concern is that this issue needs to be addressed now, before it has the time and weather-driven opportunity to spread.
