Another phase of environmental cleanup at Caneel Bay in Virgin Islands National Park is expected to start next year/NPS file

Work is expected to begin next year on the second phase of environmental cleanup work at Caneel Bay in Virgin Islands National Park. The cleanup work follows testing the National Park Service had done early in 2021.

The agency had wanted to have the testing done years earlier. Back in 2014 the Park Service wanted to have a contractor do more extensive soil sampling for potential environmental contamination on the resort grounds, but the resort operators at the time refused to allow that work to proceed.

Talks late in 2020, however, cleared the way for environmental consultants to survey for buried waste and visually inspect buildings for signs of asbestos. In February 2021 the consultants gained access to the resort grounds, and the work was completed by February 25.

That environmental testing detected a variety of wastes, some hazardous to humans, on nearly eight acres of the grounds of the once-tony resort that was largely leveled by back-to-back hurricanes in 2017. That testing found varying levels of arsenic, elevated levels of certain pesticides, and a "mixture of benign organic materials, plastics, metals, and CERCLA (Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act) hazardous substances, including the pesticide DDT and polychlorinated biphenyls."

Among the areas surveyed during the environmental testing was an area used for decades as a landfill to hold "all types of wastes from the resort, including sewage sludge."

Subsequent testing detected asbestos-containing materials in building materials on the site.

During the first phase of environmental cleanup, the Park Service removed asbestos-containing debris from 2017 hurricanes Irma and Maria. On-site work associated with the removal of asbestos containing debris began in January 2024 and concluded in April. Approximately 58 tons of asbestos-containing debris were removed from three areas near Little Hawksnest, Scott Beach, and Turtle Point to address risks to human health and the environment.

Appropriate safety protocols were followed during the removal, and all asbestos-containing debris was disposed of at a permitted landfill in Florida in May.

The second phase includes removal of contaminated soil and sediment from the maintenance area and associated drainage channel. During this phase of work, the Park Service anticipates removing approximately 288 bank cubic yards (BCY) of contaminated soil and 40 loose cubic yards of contaminated sediment. The term “bank cubic yards” refers to the volume of soil as it naturally exists in the ground in an undisturbed state, whereas “loose cubic yards” refers to the volume of material after it has been excavated.

During the second phase of work, Honeymoon Beach and Caneel Beach on the northern shore of the national park will remain open to visitors. Portions of existing parking lots may be closed off to serve as staging areas for sealed contained material and equipment, and visitors may notice increased equipment noise. The Park Service is working with its contractors to minimize impacts to the visitor experience. To prevent migration of contaminants via dust, erosion, etc. the contractor conducting the removal work is required to take steps such as covering material stockpiles overnight and when not in active use.

In addition to the contractor conducting the removal work, the Park Service has engaged an independent “Project Monitor” to oversee the work. The project monitor will conduct monitoring and oversight during the work and collect confirmation samples to ensure that removal goals are achieved. All confirmation samples collected by the project monitor will be analyzed by an independent laboratory holding National Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program (NELAP) certifications for metals and pesticides analyses. All hazardous waste removed from the site will be disposed in a permitted landfill in the continental United States.

On-site work is anticipated to begin in 2025. This second phase of removal work is funded in part by the Department of the Interior’s Central Hazardous Materials Fund (CHF), with additional funds leveraged from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The Park Service looks forward to completing this next step to address risks to human health and the environment.

The cleanup work is being conducted pursuant to the Park Service’s delegated authority under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA).

Meanwhile, the Park Service has begun the process to find a concessionaire to bring lodging back to the scenic setting.