NORTH CAROLINA, USA — Cape Hatteras National Seashore has closed yet another part of the beach on Sunday because of “petroleum odors and a sheen on the ocean water,” according to Seashore staff. The Buxton Beach Access near the end of Lighthouse Road is now closed.
Seashore staff observed the sheen and the odor near a former Navy and Coast Guard site where two-tenths of a mile of beach in front of the former military site had been closed since September of 2023.
As a result of Sunday’s expanded closure, a three-tenths of a mile section is now closed from the southernmost beachfront home in Buxton to the first jetty.
The National Response Center received a report on Sunday morning and the Coast Guard’s Sector North Carolina is monitoring the situation. Staff of the Seashore will be meeting with the Coast Guard and the Army Corps of Engineers who have been notified about the odor and the sheen.
On Monday, the Dare County Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS) announced they, North Carolina's DHHS, Division of Public Health and Cape Hatteras National Seashore are issuing a "Precautionary Public Health Advisory."
They claim the health advisory is due to impacts from "petroleum contaminated soils likely exposed by beach erosion near the former site of Naval Facility Cape Hatteras and Coast Guard Group Cape Hatteras in Buxton."
The health department says the first public health advisory was issued on September 1, 2023, and since then several soil samples have been taken by the Corps, Coast Guard, and Seashore.
The tests found that the soil contained light fuel oil, lubricating oil, petroleum hydrocarbons, and non-petroleum contamination.
The Dare County DHHS recommends avoiding swimming, wading, or fishing in the Buxton area from around 46285 Old Lighthouse Road to/and including the first jetty.
Symptoms people could experience include headache, nausea, and skin irritation.
They also recommend you thoroughly wash any skin that comes in contact with the contaminated sediment or water with soap.
Those with drinking wells near the impacted area are recommended to test their water. They can do so by contacting Dare County DHHS (252)-475-5088.
The public is invited to hear updates regarding the status of the contamination and remediation efforts at a public meeting on Wednesday at the Fessenden Center, located at 46830 N. C. Highway 12, in Buxton, North Carolina. The meeting will start at 6 p.m. and is expected to end at 7 p.m.