[CPEO-MEF] FORMER SITES, FUEL: Buxton Beach, NC

[Lenny Siegel <LSiegel@cpeo.org>]

Unearthing the Past: The Struggle to Clean Up Buxton Beach's Military Pollution
Discover the hidden pollution legacy of Buxton Beach, where military remnants and environmental hazards intersect, posing challenges for cleanup and restoration efforts.


by Nasiru Eneji Abdulrasheed
BNN Breaking
February 22, 2024

As I walk along the eroded shores of Buxton Beach on Hatteras Island, the faint but unmistakable smell of diesel lingers in the air, a ghostly reminder of the area's military past. Nearly six months have elapsed since coastal erosion, exacerbated by Tropical Storm Idalia, unearthed hazardous materials—concrete, pipes, cables—and the pervasive odor of diesel fuel. These remnants belong to a former U.S. Navy base, hidden for decades beneath the sand, now exposed and bleeding pollution into the surrounding environment. Yet, despite the evident contamination and its historical underpinnings, a resolution for cleanup remains elusive.

The Complexity of Pollution

The challenge at Buxton Beach is not merely environmental but historical, intertwined with layers of military and civilian occupation. The discovery of weathered petroleum and diesel range organics has triggered concerns among residents and visitors alike, yet the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Formerly Used Defense Sites (FUDS) Program has hit a roadblock, unable to intervene due to challenges in pinpointing the exact source of the petroleum contamination. David Hallac, superintendent of the National Parks of Eastern North Carolina, contests this decision, highlighting the ongoing contamination stemming from previous military activities. This site's pollution narrative is complex, involving not just the Navy, but the Coast Guard and modern infrastructure as well, complicating remediation efforts.

…

For the entire article, see
https://bnnbreaking.com/world/us/unearthing-the-past-the-struggle-to-clean-up-buxton-beachs-military-pollution

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Lenny Siegel
Executive Director
Center for Public Environmental Oversight
A project of the Pacific Studies Center
LSiegel@cpeo.org
P.O. Box 998, Mountain View, CA 94042
Voice/Fax: 650-961-8918
http://www.cpeo.org
Author: DISTURBING THE WAR: The Inside Story of the Movement to Get Stanford University out of Southeast Asia - 1965–1975 (See http://a3mreunion.org)

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