Camp Lejeune warns public to stay off Browns Island due to unexploded ordnance

CAMP LEJEUNE, NC (WWAY) — As boating season begins along the North Carolina coast, officials at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune are reminding the public that Browns Island and the surrounding waters remain strictly off-limits due to the ongoing danger posed by unexploded ordnance and live-fire military training.

Browns Island, located between North Onslow Beach and Bear Island along the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, continues to serve as an active military training area.

“The primary safety hazards around and on Browns Island are everything from 500-pound air-delivered bombs all the way down to 25- and 40-millimeter high-explosive dual-purpose munitions,” said Lt. Col. Jeffrey Cummings, director of Range Control at Camp Lejeune.

Officials emphasized that civilians are prohibited from disembarking anywhere on the island, including shorelines marked with off-limits signs. Boats are also not permitted to anchor near restricted areas.

Cummings warned that activities disturbing the seabed — including clamming, oystering, crabbing, or fishing with bottom-dragging nets — are prohibited in the surrounding waters. Foot traffic on Browns Island is also banned at all times.

Military Police and the U.S. Coast Guard regularly patrol the area to enforce restrictions. Violators may face federal citations, fines of up to $5,000, imprisonment for up to six months, or both.

Camp Lejeune officials say the rules are intended to protect boaters, visitors, and local residents from potentially deadly hazards associated with unexploded military munitions.