North Carolina beach closes as erosion unearths toxic remains of old military base

Cape Hatteras National Seashore officials expanded a beach closure this week as a precautionary measure against a “strong” scent of petroleum at an old military site, according to the National Park Service.

The beach closure is about 0.25 miles long and runs from beachfront homes at the end of Old Lighthouse Road in Buxton, North Carolina, to the old lighthouse jetties.

Officials closed this segment of the beach after several feet of sand washed away from an area in front of the Buxton Formerly Used Defense Site (FUDS) military site, exposing petroleum-contaminated soils and groundwater.

Officials said the petroleum comes from historic military use of the site.

They added that the erosion has also uncovered large quantities of “hazardous” remnant Navy and Coast Guard infrastructure, such as concrete, rebar, wires, PVC and metal pipes, metal fragments and cables that had been left in the ground.

The NPS has asked visitors to Cape Hatteras National Seashore to take note of signage around the beach closure and to stay outside the area.

They said the closure might change over the coming days, based on ongoing field observations.