When Naval Facility Cape Hatteras moved out, the US Coast Guard took over the site. Since then, petroleum odors and sheens would come and go — on the sand, in the water and even in some of the soil.

The Navy operated an undersea surveillance station at Cape Hatteras from 1956 to 1982. From 1984 through 2010, the facilities were used as Coast Guard Station Cape Hatteras. Dare County today is ...