Assistant Commandant for Engineering and Logistics

Office of Environmental Management


 

Environmental Remediation and Liabilities

The Coast Guard's Remediation and Liability Program address environmental remediation and manages associated liabilities arising from hazardous substance releases or other environmental damages connected to its operations. This program focuses on:

  • Taking necessary actions to clean up and mitigate environmental contamination at Coast Guard facilities and properties, including past and current contamination. This could involve soil, water, and air pollution caused by hazardous materials, petroleum, or other substances.

  • Complying with federal and state environmental laws, such as the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), to ensure that its environmental impacts are properly addressed.

  • Managing its environmental liabilities, which may include costs related to site investigation, cleanup, natural resource damages, and other financial obligations tied to environmental harm.

  • Allocating funds for necessary cleanup operations and to recover costs from responsible parties when applicable.

This program demonstrates the Coast Guard's commitment to environmental stewardship and its responsibility to minimize the impact of its operations on the environment, while complying with relevant regulations.

Site Investigation Report for Old Group Cape Hatteras, Buxton, NC

Old Group Cape Hatteras, NC, Oct. 4, 2024 —

The Coast Guard has completed a Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act Site Inspection Report associated with legacy properties used by the Coast Guard at Buxton Beach, N.C. between 1982-2013. The site inspection, conducted by WSP USA Environment and Infrastructure Inc. on behalf of Coast Guard Civil Engineering Unit Cleveland, consisted of the advancement of 96 soil borings to a maximum depth of 10 feet below ground surface.

Additionally, WSP USA Environmental and Infrastructure Inc. installed 19 temporary monitoring wells and provided analysis of 23 groundwater samples. The independent analysis determined that there are no actionable levels of containments resulting from Coast Guard operations at the sites.  The Coast Guard remains a committed partner to the National Park Service and the Army Corps of Engineers as this remediation effort continues under the Formerly Used Defense Site program.

Final Site Investigation Report for Old Group Cape Hatteras