The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah District, has completed the pipe removal work at the former Buxton Naval Facility Formerly Used Defense Sites property in Dare County North Carolina, but results from soil sampling, which will identify the next steps, are still pending.
Contract work at the site was completed Friday, May 17. The work included removing 70-80 feet of pipe, soil sampling and removing liquids that had been trapped within the pipe and the surrounding soil. The soil samples are currently being processed, and the results are needed to determine the next steps in coordination with North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality. Additionally, the Army Corps of Engineers is performing an internal review of its investigations to date through the Environmental and Munitions Center of Expertise.
“The Savannah District is committed to keeping the community informed about the status of our investigative work at the Buxton FUDS project,” said Col. Ron Sturgeon, USACE, Savannah District, commander. “Once we receive the results and determine the next steps, we will provide an update through a news release and the project’s webpage.”
The webpage for the former Buxton Naval Facility FUDS property is located at Buxton FUDS. The webpage provides access to a contact email for questions about the site, frequently asked questions, the September 2023-February 2024 Final Summary Report of Findings as well as facts related to the site and other Savannah District’s FUDS properties and projects.
To summarize the sequence of events, in September 2023, the National Park Service reached out to the Savannah District to report organic material with a petroleum odor had washed up on the beach during a significant storm surge event associated with Hurricane Idalia. From that time, the Savannah District has diligently investigated the beach to find potential sources that could have resulted in the odors, sheen, and contaminated organic material reported.
In response, USACE sent teams in September, October, November, December, and February to collect soil samples, perform borings, dig test pits, and take air samples, all in an effort to identify a potential source.
In February, a pipe was discovered after another erosion event, and the Savannah District identified it as a potential source. In early May, a contract was awarded to remove the pipe and sample the surrounding soil.
