The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced plans to investigate a closed section of Buxton Beach.

This 500-yard section has been off-limits since hurricanes Franklin and Idalia hit in September 2023, causing severe erosion and exposing old military infrastructure.

The Corps plans to start geophysical work at the Buxton Naval Facility by late June or early July 2024. This site, a former defense location within Cape Hatteras National Seashore, needs a detailed assessment to identify any remaining fuel distribution components.

“We’re committed to advancing our investigative efforts at the Buxton FUDS project,” said Col. Ron Sturgeon, commander of the USACE Savannah District. He added that a more thorough investigation is needed based on current site conditions.

Additionally, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will conduct comprehensive sampling later this year. The geophysical results will help draft a sampling plan. They expect to award the contract for this work in October 2024.

These steps follow recent site investigations and a review by the USACE Environmental and Munitions Center of Expertise. This review included data from site visits, interviews, and evaluations of about 40 documents related to previous and current investigations.

The detailed findings are available in the Strategic Optimization Technical Memorandum, accessible here.

Last month, the Corps also completed pipe removal work at the Buxton site, including soil sampling. The contractor is currently waiting for laboratory data. Once reviewed, final results will be shared with the community.