Cape Hatteras Outer Banks Beach Closure Expanded Due to Petroleum Contaminants

Sep 7, 2024, 04:38 PM

Officials have expanded a beach closure at Cape Hatteras National Seashore in North Carolina's Outer Banks due to pollutants linked to military activity. The closure, which now covers a quarter mile, was prompted by erosion that exposed contaminants at the Buxton Formerly Used Defense Site. This follows an initial closure of three-tenths of a mile in September 2023 after soil samples tested positive for petroleum contamination. The National Park Service cited a strong scent of petroleum as a precautionary reason for the expanded closure, prompting a beach contamination alert.