The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah District, will take further action on the former U.S. Navy facility at Buxton, North Carolina, under the Formerly Used Defense Sites Program, removing a pipe and sampling the surrounding soil to determine if it is the potential source of the reported petroleum.
The National Park Service, working in partnership with the Army Corps of Engineers, reported the discovery of the pipe to the Savannah District. The pipe was recently exposed after storms eroded more of the beach area. The Army Corps of Engineers is in the process of awarding a contract to remove the pipe and sample the surrounding soil. The contract is anticipated to be awarded by September 2024, with work to begin in late 2024 or early 2025.
The Army Corps of Engineers will also establish a Restoration Advisory Board as part of the pipe removal contract. A RAB serves as a forum for discussion and exchange of information between agencies and affected communities. However, the FUDS Program team members are always available for questions. Please send questions anytime to cesas-FUDS@usace.army.mil (with ‘Buxton FUDS’ in the subject line), and a team member will respond.
Like all government programs, the use of the FUDS Program has its limitations and is dependent on funding approved by Congress. All FUDS Program remediation efforts are authorized by Congress and are restricted to cleaning up properties formerly owned by, leased to, or otherwise possessed by the United States and transferred outside DoD control prior to Oct. 17, 1986. The FUDS Program may only address restoration activities which are determined to be the result of DoD activities. However, the remnant infrastructures, exposed on the beach after storm erosion, are not eligible for removal under the FUDS Program, as those structures were not in an unsafe condition at the time the site was transferred out of DoD control.
The DoD tasked the U.S. Army with carrying out the FUDS Program and delegated the execution to the Army Corps of Engineers. The Army Corps of Engineers is committed to advancing remediation efforts authorized under the FUDS program to protect the health and well-being of communities and the environment.
The Summary Report has been shared with other agencies for review, and once the process is complete the final report will be posted to the Savannah District’s website. To learn more about the project, visit Buxton FUDS.