BUXTON — Cape Hatteras National Seashore has expanded the area of beach closure near Buxton Beach Access on Hatteras Island from about two-tenths of a mile to approximately three-tenths of a mile following staff observations of “petroleum odors and sheen on the ocean water.”
Cape Hatteras National Seashore announced in a news release the park is closing the Buxton Beach Access at the end of Old Lighthouse Road and an additional stretch of beach.
The closure encompasses the beach from the southernmost beachfront home in the village of Buxton to the first jetty, according to the release.
“Observations were reported to the National Response Center this morning, and the Coast Guard’s Sector North Carolina has responded and is working with the Seashore to monitor the situation,” according to the Sunday afternoon release.
Park staff notified the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and “will be meeting with both agencies,” the release said.
The original closure began Sept. 1 and was from 46285 Old Lighthouse Road up to and including the first (southernmost) jetty.
Coastal erosion following a series of storms exposed infrastructure from former military sites in the area, and a strong fuel smell was noticeable.
On Sept. 25, the Dare County Department of Health and Human Services issued a “precautionary public health advisory” for the site in conjunction with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health, Cape Hatteras National Seashore and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The site is known to have petroleum contamination, as 4,000 tons of petroleum-contaminated sediment were removed from the area before 2005, according to David Hallac, National Parks of Eastern North Carolina superintendent.
The site was used by both the Navy and the Coast Guard, and both stored petroleum onsite, Hallac said.
Bureaucratic confusion over what federal entity is responsible for cleanup has left the situation unresolved and only worsening over half a year later.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Formerly Used Defense Sites Program — generally tasked with cleanup of former military sites — concluded last month that it would not be addressing the Buxton beach because of not being able to pinpoint a source for the petroleum contamination there.
The Dare County Board of Commissioners unanimously adopted a resolution at its March 4 meeting “requesting immediate action” for site cleanup, which was sent to a host of military, governmental and elected officials.
