This page will be updated as more information is available
Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort is aware of the allegations and claims in the lawsuit filed by former residents of Laurel Bay against AMCC. We are maintaining this website as the best place for us to provide you with the most accurate and timely information that is available.
It remains our priority to ensure that safe, healthy, worry-free homes are available to you, on base. The Question and Answer link remains in operation and we will assist you in getting your questions answered.
**7 December 2021 -- Final copies of the Laurel Bay Military Housing (LBMH) Investigation Summary Reports are available under the LBMH Summary Reports by Neighborhood tab. These reports summarize the results of the environmental investigation activities associated with the storage of home heating oil and the potential release of petroleum constituents at the referenced property. Please note as of January 2014, the LBMH addresses were re-numbered to comply with the E-911 emergency response addressing system; however, in order to remain consistent with historical sampling and reporting for LBMH area, the residences will continue to be referenced with their original address numbers in sample nomenclature and reporting documents. Please use the address conversion links as necessary to view the corresponding report for the residence of interest.
**9 June 2020 -- Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort has decided to evaluate a more active cleanup process for the residual heating oil, using remedial underground injections. The implementation of this technology will reduce the amount of time needed to complete the cleanup. The remedial activities will adhere to established standard operating procedures that have been approved by the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC).
Remediation activities will occur over an approximate seven-day period and will consist of site preparation, subsurface injections, and site restoration. Site preparation activities will consist of drilling boreholes for utility clearances. Drilling boreholes will be completed a week before the planned injections and will be located on the lawn and driveway of the selected properties. Approximately one day before the injection event, a 15 by 15 feet area of sod will be removed from the lawn. The injection activities are anticipated to take no more than two days and will be completed utilizing a direct push drill rig followed by borehole abandonment. Site restoration activities will consist primarily of site cleanup, asphalt patching, and sod replacement and should be completed within one day. The remedial activities are scheduled to occur between 11 June 2020 and 19 June 2020, accomplished between the hours of 0800 and 1700. For more information on this particular project or the larger Laurel Bay Heath Study please continue to monitor this page for updates, or contact the Communication Strategy and Operations Office at 843-228-7225 or laurelbayhealthstudy@usmc.mil.
**25 November 2019 -- Removal will begin on 9 December of the three out-of-service underground storage tanks (USTs) discovered earlier this year during the survey with ground penetrating radar (GPR). The other two sites were determined not to have any USTs. The UST removal and environmental testing are scheduled to occur 9-20 December 2019. Removal and environmental testing will be conducted in coordination with South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC) and in accordance with SCDHEC and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidelines.
**15 May 2019 -- As part of MCAS Beaufort's ongoing environmental sampling effort in relation to the past underground heating oil storage tanks (USTs), a survey using ground penetrating radar (GPR) was completed on 1 May 2019. The survey was performed to determine if undocumented USTs remained. The survey identified five sites where a UST might remain. Each site will be further investigated to determine if a UST is present. If so, the USTs will be removed using the same procedures coordinated with the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control that have been used for previous UST removals. We are committed to the safety and well-being of you and your family. For more information on this specific GPR survey effort as well as the larger Laurel Bay Heath Study please continue to monitor this page for updates, or contact the Communication Strategy and Operations Office at 843-228-6229 or laurelbayhealthstudy@usmc.mil.
**2 April 2019 -- As part of an ongoing environmental sampling effort throughout Laurel Bay in relation to the past use of underground home heating oil tanks, groundwater monitoring wells will be installed on Banyan Drive, Birch Drive, Ash Street, Iris Lane and West Dove Lane. Water samples from wells will be drawn a few days after installation. The activities will be conducted 1-19 April 2019 from 0800 to 1700. Well installation and sampling is done in coordination with the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC) and in accordance with SCDHEC and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidelines. Groundwater is not the source of drinking water in Laurel Bay; thus this work does not affect the drinking water. Laurel Bay drinking water is provided by Beaufort Jasper Water and Sewer Authority, the same water provider that serves all of Beaufort County. Providing a healthy and worry free home environment is of utmost importance to the United States Marine Corps and this Command. We are committed to the safety and well-being of you and your family. We encourage all residents to review the information at: www.beaufort.marines.mil/Resources/Laurel-Bay-Health-Study/. Should you have questions, please contact the Communication Strategy and Operations Office at 843-228-6229 or email laurelbayhealthstudy@usmc.mil.
**9 January 2019 -- As part of MCAS Beaufort's ongoing environmental sampling effort in relation to the past underground heating oil storage tanks (USTs), a survey using ground penetrating radar (GPR) will be performed to identify potentially undocumented heating oil tanks and validate previous UST locating techniques conducted at legacy Capehart style properties in the Laurel Bay Military Housing Area. GPR survey activities will be conducted at properties where legacy Capehart style homes remain. These activities are scheduled to occur between 22 January 2019 and 29 March 2019 and will be accomplished between the hours of 0800 and 1700. You do not need to be home during the performance of this work. Providing a healthy home environment is important to the United States Marine Corps and this Command. We are committed to the safety and well-being of you and your family. For more information on this specific GPR survey effort as well as the larger Laurel Bay Heath Study please continue to monitor this page for updates, or contact the Communication Strategy and Operations Office at 843-228-6229 or laurelbayhealthstudy@usmc.mil.
** 31 October 2018 -- As part of the ongoing investigation of former heating oil tanks that were removed from Laurel Bay residences, groundwater monitoring wells will be installed outside of several residences (list is included on the right of this webpage under Permanent Monitoring Well Installation, Development, and Sampling Schedule). Groundwater is not the source of drinking water in Laurel Bay; thus this work does not affect the drinking water. Laurel Bay drinking water is provided by Beaufort Jasper Water and Sewer Authority, the same water provider that serves all of Beaufort County. Work is scheduled to occur between 01 Nov 2018 and 21 Dec 2018 and will be accomplished between the hours of 0800 and 1600. The work will include installation of the wells followed by sampling of the wells a few days later.
** 20 July 2018 - Two out-of-service underground heating oil storage tanks (USTs) were discovered and became known to us this month at legacy homes in Laurel Bay. The Air Station immediately initiated efforts to properly remove the storage tanks and will adhere to the established removal and environmental testing procedures, approved by the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC), which have previously been used for tank removal. In consultation with SCDHEC, MCAS Beaufort is taking this opportunity to validate UST locating techniques.
Providing a healthy and worry free home environment is a priority for the United States Marine Corps and this Command. We remain firmly committed to the process of removing underground storage tanks from Laurel Bay and investigating any potential impacts.