Video above is from previous coverage reported back in April 2024.
BUXTON, N.C. (WAVY) — The foundation of an old naval base, once thought to be fully decommissioned, poked out of the beach at Buxton after years of erosion. For the past few months, contractors with The Army Corps of Engineers started digging out petroleum impacted soil after the fumes made people feel sick.
The stretch of the beach stayed closed since late 2023 as concrete, pipes and other pieces of the structure stuck out. After much pressure from the community, the Army Corps removed a pipe to test it for petroleum in 2024. Many months later, they are reporting that it is likely a source for the pollution.
Heather Jennette with the newly formed Buxton Civic Association said there was frustration with how long this test took. The community did its own test months ago to independently confirm that the pipe is a source. But they are thankful that last fall, the Army Corps got contractors to remove petroleum impacted soil. They vowed to remove any structure that got in the way. Now, it is a night and day difference.
“So it looks great,” Jennette said. “In the process of having to remove the contaminated soil and water, they had to remove a lot of the physical infrastructure. That was sort of the little caveat we kept hoping would happen. Because as they say, their guidelines are written, they can’t go and remove physical structures … We have some differing maybe opinion on how that language stands.”
On a surface level, the base appears to be gone. But the Army Corp report said more work will be done. They are working with a new contractor to start more sampling at the site this spring. Community leaders believe there is more structure to remove underground, further inland. The Civic Association wants to make sure the federal government stays on top of this issue until the entire base is gone.