BUXTON, Va. — A portion of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore in Buxton remains closed to the public amid renewed concerns over an old military base.
People near the beach reported an odor of diesel fuel and surfers reported seeing a sheen in the water after erosion once again exposed a leftover infrastructure from a base that was first used by the U.S. Navy and later the U.S. Coast Guard.
“Right now, we're working with our partners, the Navy, the U.S Army Corps [of Engineers] and the Coast Guard to try to identify what the source of that contamination,” said Meaghan Johnson, chief of resource management and science for the National Parks of Eastern North Carolina.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been trying to determine if the site qualifies for the Formerly Used Defense Sites (FUDS) program. It addresses "environmental liabilities" that resulted from military activities.
"With that said, we (USACE) have conducted subsurface investigations (at various locations) on the beach and have not found a source of petroleum," said Cheri Pritchard, media relations chief of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah District.
"Unfortunately, in the absence of a source, the FUDS program/funding cannot be used to take any action at the site. As mentioned above, USACE FUDS needs to confirm there is a source associated with Navy activity at the site for this matter to fall within the scope of the FUDS Program."
Erosion caused by Tropical Storm Idalia and Hurricane Lee last year led to the remains of the base being uncovered.
Last September, some samples tested positive for petroleum contamination.
The beach was closed as a precaution.
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After a coastal storm earlier this month people near the beach reported smelling the fuel odor after some of the base infrastructure emerged again.
“A lot of that has been covered up now. Depending on what storms we have, and some of the erosion, we’ll smell that petroleum stronger,” Johnson said. “We’ve been reporting that to the National Spill Response Center and working with the Coast Guard to respond to that.”
The National Park Service is urging people to continue to stay away from that section of the beach. People who live nearby are hoping a solution can be found soon.
“That’s not really good for the environment or people who in the water, so we’re not very happy about that,” said Lucy Nuzzo, who lives near the beach.
The Park Service is also investigating non-petroleum contaminants at the site. That investigation should be wrapped up by this summer.
