BUXTON, N.C. — Locals in Buxton say they haven’t seen a late winter or early spring season like this in quite some time.
Heavy rain, high winds, and high surf have been battering the coast in recent weeks, leading to erosion concerns.
“A lot of storms, a lot of swell, a lot of wind direction out of the north and it’s really taken a toll, it’s really eaten at a lot of beach,” said Brian Harris, a longtime resident. “Northern Buxton is looking pretty bad, most of the oceanfront houses are pretty close to getting lost.”
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There’s also the issue of the closure of the Buxton Beach Access by the National Park Service because of emergency conditions and because of lingering concerns about an old military base once used by the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Coast Guard.
The Park Service heard from neighbors, including Harris, during a meeting Wednesday night.
“Things are definitely rolling,” he said. “Things are definitely not rolling fast, not really fast enough.”
Erosion is exposing more of the base's infrastructure and this week, there are new reports of a smell of diesel and a sheen in nearby waters.
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Dare County Commissioner Danny Couch, who represents Hatteras Island, joined Commission Chair Bob Woodard, Vice Chairman Wally Overman, as well as Dare County Manager/Attorney Bobby Outten in Washington, D.C. to press leaders for solutions.
“With all that infrastructure that is there on a beach that is constantly rated one of the top beaches in the nation, somebody’s going to get hurt,” Couch said. “We have an obligation to protect those who want to go to the beach.”
This week, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers completed a report on the site, recommending continued coordination with the National Park Service to find a source of the contamination. The site may be eligible for the Army Corps' Formerly Used Defense Site Program or FUDS, but that remains uncertain.
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“The limiting factor we’ve run into is program policy specifically states, hazards that arise after a property is transferred out of DoD control are not FUDS eligible,” said Sara Keisler, USACE, Savannah District, FUDS Program Manager. “But, if the source of the recently reported petroleum contamination is the result of DoD activities prior to Oct.17, 1986, then the FUDS Program can be used to clean up the area.”
Despite the erosion and situation with the old base, people in Buxton are still optimistic about the upcoming tourist season, pointing out it is only a small stretch of beach that is impacted.
