Cape Hatteras National Seashore (CHNS) Superintendent David Hallac delivered a sobering update Monday morning to the Dare County Board of Commissioners, confirming that petroleum contamination has once again surfaced at Buxton Beach, forcing a temporary closure and spurring a renewed federal response.

Rough surf over the weekend revealed residual contamination at the former naval and Coast Guard facility site, just north of the original Cape Hatteras Lighthouse location — a site that has long been plagued by legacy pollution from its Cold War-era military use. The update came less than two months after the beach reopened, following a 21-month closure due to similar petroleum concerns.

“We’ve had a degradation of conditions there over the last few days,” Hallac said. “Unfortunately, starting Friday afternoon, significant erosion exposed a lot of petroleum-contaminated soil. We had very strong odors and sheens actively washing into the ocean.”

Hallac confirmed that approximately one mile of shoreline was closed over the weekend as a precaution, following consultations with county officials, the Dare County Health Department, and federal agencies.

David Hallac speaking at Monday’s Board of Commissioners meeting. Dare County image.

A quick background on the longstanding issues at the former Buxton military site

The source of the contamination is the former Naval Facility Cape Hatteras, which operated from 1956 to 1982 as a surveillance station using underwater listening cables to detect foreign activity off the U.S. coast. After the Navy’s departure, the Coast Guard took over the site until the early 2010s.

Both branches left behind abandoned infrastructure — including underground and aboveground fuel tanks and oil-change facilities — that led to long-term environmental issues. The Army Corps of Engineers, through its Formerly Used Defense Sites (FUDS) program, is responsible for the petroleum-related cleanup.

Following significant community pressure and media attention in 2024, the Corps conducted a major cleanup effort late last year. That effort removed over 4,600 cubic yards of contaminated soil, nearly 100,000 gallons of petroleum-laced groundwater, and more than 275,000 pounds of concrete and debris from the beach.

However, Hallac emphasized on Monday that while the worst areas were addressed, not all contamination was removed — a fact the Corps acknowledged following the late 2024 cleanup. They committed to a second phase involving comprehensive soil and groundwater sampling to map the extent of remaining contamination.

“They have not been able to complete the comprehensive sampling project,” Hallac said, though he added that the Corps now appears ready to move forward with that process in the coming weeks.

The Corps’ response action at Buxton Beach in the fall of 2024. USACE photo.

Army Corps of Engineers heading to Buxton to plan a new response

The renewed erosion and contamination event brought an immediate response from the Army Corps. Representatives from the Savannah District — including Colonel Ron Sturgeon and Deputy Engineer Tom Woodie — are en route to the Outer Banks to assess the site in person on Tuesday, according to Hallac’s update on Monday morning.

In addition, the National Park Service has requested a meeting with the Regional Response Team, which includes representatives from the Environmental Protection Agency and the State of North Carolina, to explore other options for quickly remediating the new wave of Buxton Beach issues. That meeting is scheduled for Monday afternoon.

“We are actively working to find a solution, and the Army Corps of Engineers, the agency responsible, is fully engaged,” Hallac told the commissioners.

Commissioner Rob Ross pressed Hallac on whether a full resolution was finally within reach.

“Do you have any estimate of how much it would take to solve this once and for all?” Ross asked. “The folks there — they don’t deserve this.”

Hallac acknowledged the frustration, but said a complete fix remains difficult to quantify until the full environmental assessment is completed. He likened the process to a medical diagnosis: “We need all the blood work. We need a full checkup before we can figure out what the treatment is.”

He added that while the Corps is not typically tasked with managing rapidly eroding coastlines, they are taking the matter seriously.

“This site just happens to be on the edge of one of the most active, high-energy coastlines in the United States,” he said. “I think they made an excellent effort [in late 2024]… but I think Mother Nature is moving a little bit quicker than they are right now.”

Buxton Beach on June 25. CHNS photo.

Community advocacy continues

Local residents and advocates have remained actively engaged in the cleanup process. Commissioner Mary Ellon Ballance noted that the Buxton Restoration Advisory Board (RAB), a Corps and community-led oversight group co-chaired by local resident Brian Harris, will meet again in the coming weeks.

“We thought about bumping it up because of what’s happened this weekend,” Ballance said, “but decided to stay the course since the Corps has jumped on it and is being as responsive as they are.”

Ballance also highlighted how community advocacy has brought more attention and resources to the problem than ever before.

“I feel like we’re way better than we were a year ago, and we have the connections and the attention of the people that can help us get through this,” she said.

Buxton Beach on March 26, 2024. CHNS photo.

Related projects: Beach nourishment and jetty repairs

Hallac also updated the board on two related infrastructure efforts in Buxton.

First, the National Park Service (NPS) has received and is actively reviewing a special use permit application for a 2026 beach nourishment project. Because environmental assessments were already completed during a prior sediment management study, Hallac said the permit process should proceed smoothly.

Second, the NPS is reviewing an application to repair the southernmost groin — also referred to as a jetty — in Buxton. The project is being advanced by Dare County and the Buxton Civic Association, who argue that stabilizing the jetties will help protect the shoreline and limit erosion near the contaminated site.

“We’re coordinating a meeting in Buxton to get input from the public,” Hallac said. “We see no problems with moving through the review process for that application in a timely manner.”

The groin in question is part of a network of three structures built in the 1970s to slow shoreline erosion near the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. Ignored since the lighthouse was moved in 1999, which led to its rapid deterioration, community leaders argue that repairs to the jetty are now essential to maintain the Buxton shoreline, and add an additional stopgap to the accelerating erosion issues.  

“We’re all working together on solutions for Buxton,” Hallac concluded.

Buxton Beach on April 7. Photo by Joy Crist.

Looking ahead

As federal officials and local leaders start to plot out another potential round of remediation, Buxton Beach remains closed, and the community is left once again in limbo.

Despite frustrations, there is a growing sense that the problem is finally receiving the full attention it demands — both from federal authorities and local lawmakers

“We’re here to support whatever we need to help with that situation,” said Board Chairman Bob Woodard. “Thank you so much, Superintendent Hallac, for bringing us up to date. We know you’re on top of it.”

Further Reading: