Reminder: Buxton Civic Association will hold public meeting on August 12 with NPS, SELC representatives

Update: The Buxton Civic Association meeting scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on August 12 has been moved to the Fessenden Center in Buxton at 46830 N.C. Highway 12.

The Buxton Civic Association (BCA) will hold its next monthly meeting on Monday, August 12, at 6:30 p.m. at the Fessenden Center in Buxton.

The public meeting is an opportunity for the community to learn about recent updates and developments for the ongoing environmental issues at Buxton Beach, and this month’s meeting will feature two guest speakers – Liz Rasheed, Senior Associate Attorney with the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC), and David Hallac, National Parks of Eastern N.C. Superintendent.

A three-tenths-of-a-mile section of Buxton Beach has been closed since September 2023 after two offshore hurricanes brushed the Outer Banks, exposing abandoned infrastructure from the site’s former 1956-2010 military base, as well as occasional petroleum smells.

The consensus by stakeholders is that there are two agencies – the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) and the U.S. Coast Guard – who are responsible for cleaning up the area.

The petroleum smells and petroleum-contaminated soils fall under the Corps’ Formerly Used Defense Site (FUDS) program, however, there is some debate as to which agency will address the remaining Navy infrastructure and other debris on the beach.

Buxton Beach gained new attention in February 2024 after surfers in the area reported petroleum sheens on the water’s surface, and the BCA was formed in April to provide a centralized, community response to these environmental and public health issues.

On August 2, the Corps issued a press release stating that Savannah District Commander Col. Ron Sturgeon would be providing an update on the Corps’ recent initiatives at the Dare County Board of Commissioners monthly meeting in Manteo on September 3 at 9:00 a.m. Additionally, the data from the geophysical work accomplished June 24-28 is expected to be received within the next few weeks.

The Corps team also anticipates having the first public meeting in mid-October or early November 2024 to determine interest in creating a Restoration Advisory Board (RAB). The exact date of the first RAB meeting depends on contract timelines and coordination with local, state, and federal partners, per the Corps’ August update.

Meanwhile, Congressman Greg Murphy, M.D., visited the Buxton site last week, and received a comprehensive overview of the contamination and remnants associated with the Buxton Beach site.

“I had an important visit [Friday] with the National Park Service regarding the Buxton oil contamination,” said Congressman Murphy in a statement. “Complex, one involving the Navy, Coast Guard, as well as the Army Corps of Engineers. Getting everyone on board and moving in the same direction is key as this issue needs to be taken care of. We must proactively protect and preserve our beautiful lands to allow folks to safely enjoy the area. I look forward to the completion of this project and once again open it for use by the community.”

At the August 12 meeting, the BCA will provide updates on these recent developments, as well as several corresponding initiatives that are in process to remediate this small but problematic section of the Buxton shoreline.

The public is welcome and encouraged to attend this meeting, and BCA board members are hoping that the local community will continue to stay involved in the ongoing efforts to fix Buxton Beach.

“Join us for the August 2024 public meeting of the Buxton Civic Association,” stated the BCA in an update. “Come out and show your support, stay informed, and say hello to your neighbors and friends!”

 For more information on Buxton Beach

• The Buxton Civic Association typically meets at the old Buxton Volunteer Fire Department building beside Burrus Field. The next meeting is August 12 at 6:30 p.m., and will be held at the Fessenden Center instead of the former Buxton fire station.
• 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.
• 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.
• Remember that while the environmental issues at Buxton Beach are considered to be a public safety and environmental hazard, 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 potentially becomes a larger problem.