Buxton Civic Association forms to tackle pollution at old naval base

BUXTON, N.C. — The Buxton Civic Association has formed to put more pressure on the federal government and to seek answers about an old naval base which has been the source of serious pollution concerns since a stretch of the Buxton beach access closed last fall. Pipes, rebar and large chunks of a concrete structure are exposed by erosion along the beach.

This is an issue 10 On Your Side has been reporting on since earlier this year, as officials there believe it may be leaking petroleum in the ocean.

The Army Corps of Engineers is already in a multiple month long process of removing potential fuel sources at the site. Because of how regulations are set at the federal level and the timeline of when entities took it over, Corps representatives say they cannot remove the rest of the site.

This is ultimately what inspired neighbors to form the civic association. It is a new kind of organization for this unincorporated community of Buxton. The group is showing up to every local government meeting they can go to, while repeatedly staying in touch with the Corps and other federal entities. They are encouraging other neighbors to do the same.

On top of this, the association is requesting and digging through piles of decades old documentation as part of their mission to figure out just who is responsible for removing the entire site. Since the 1980’s, the site went through a litany of turnover — making it unclear who is in charge of removing all the hazards.

Heather Jennette said a key role of the association is making sure people do not forget about the site, saying it literally gets buried in the sand as tides and wind directions change.

Throughout the summer, the site became more hidden due to the beach closure in September of 2023. But Jennette said that does not mean the hazards go away.

“We’re hoping that these organizations might do something crazy like work together to really and, you know, once and for all, let’s get these foundations and physical hazards removed,” Jennette said.

The Army Corps of Engineers is still working on samples they took from the site earlier this summer. Their crews have since carried out a geophysical survey of the old base and have plans to deal with portions that are potentially causing oil contamination later this year.

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