SAVANNAH, Ga. – As of May 28, 2026, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah District, has completed excavations to remove petroleum-impacted soil from the beach and dunes, as well as sand replacement and seeding at the Buxton Naval Facility, a Formerly Used Defense Sites property along the Cape Hatteras seashore, and continues to the next step in the process.
Since 2024, the Corps of Engineers has completed two Interim Response Actions to remove petroleum-impacted soil. In addition to removing impacted soil, the team also had to remove other remnant infrastructure, such as concrete and asphalt. During the 2025 Interim Response Action, the team removed the following:
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Buxton FUDS Removal Volumes:
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Materials
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Approximate Amount
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Petroleum Impacted Soil
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19,285 tons
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Petroleum Impacted Water
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336,928 gallons
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Asbestos Pipes
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315 linear feet
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Concrete/Abandoned Utilities/Fencing/Asphalt/Debris
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3,050,000 pounds
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GAC treated stormwater/rainwater
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122,472 gallons
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During the 2025 Interim Response Action, the team identified a secondary source of petroleum contamination within the project area, which was a significant breakthrough in the cleanup efforts. The petroleum impacted soil was located around the former heating oil plant, indicating the petroleum likely originated from a release at the plant. Some of that petroleum likely migrated under and around Building 19, which the team excavated and removed during the 2024 Interim Response Action. Much of the secondary source area was excavated and removed, which will reduce future off-gassing or sheens during weather events.
“The weather has caused some delays, but we’ve accomplished a lot at the Buxton FUDS property during the Interim Response Actions,” said Sara Keisler, Savannah District’s FUDS Program manager. “It’s been a team effort, and we really appreciate our agency stakeholders and community members. We will continue to communicate important updates as we have them.”
In future actions, anticipated during the Fall of 2026, the Corps of Engineers will begin comprehensive sampling within the project area to delineate the nature and extent of any remaining petroleum contamination within the soil and groundwater.
“Since the response action excavations have changed the site conditions, the comprehensive sampling contract had to be modified and a new work plan developed,” said Keisler. “Currently, the updated work plan is being revised. Once that’s complete it will be reviewed by our agency experts and then stakeholders before we can determine exactly when the sampling fieldwork will begin.”
Learn more at Buxton FUDS or to view photos, visit Buxton FUDS Flickr.
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