Despite weather delays, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has reported steady progress in the ongoing environmental cleanup at the Buxton Formerly Used Defense Site (FUDS), where crews have removed thousands of gallons of contaminated water and large quantities of petroleum-impacted soil and debris as part of a long-term restoration effort.
According to Cheri Pritchard with the USACE Savannah District Communications Office, field teams have continued large-scale excavation and material removal at the site, located north of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, even as recent weather slowed activity.
“Due to recent weather events, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ work at the Buxton Formerly Used Defense Sites property has been impacted by saturated ground conditions,” Pritchard said. “The team started preparations for beach excavations by removing infrastructure at the surface, which will allow for access to underlying soils in an area that is thought to have soil contamination.”
On November 6, tanker trucks hauled away 15,236 gallons of contaminated water from the site’s east containment cell after several days of rain left the area too saturated for excavation. Once the site dried, excavation work resumed on November 7.
As of October 31, cumulative totals for the remediation effort include:
- 1,050 cubic yards of petroleum-contaminated soil
- 65,622 gallons of petroleum-impacted water
- 2,000 pounds of concrete
- 200 linear feet of asbestos pipe
- 10,000 pounds of abandoned utilities, fencing, asphalt, and debris
These cumulative totals represent several months of on-site work since the Corps launched the latest phase of its cleanup operation in early fall.
Background of the Buxton Formerly Used Defense Site
The Buxton FUDS property was once part of a U.S. Navy and later Coast Guard facility beginning in the 1950s. Petroleum contamination was later discovered at the site, which was transferred to the National Park Service following its decommissioning.
The Corps began formal investigations and remediation work at the property under the federal Formerly Used Defense Sites (FUDS) program, which addresses contamination at decommissioned military installations.
In September 2025, the Corps awarded a new Interim Response Action (IRA) contract to accelerate cleanup operations. The expanded effort includes the excavation and disposal of contaminated soil, removal of old infrastructure, and construction of containment cells to safely store and transport impacted materials.
Cleanup work is being led by the USACE Savannah District, in coordination with the National Park Service and the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality.
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