A second phase of environmental cleanup is planned for Caneel Bay in the Virgin Islands National Park.

Another round of environmental cleanup is expected to begin next year at Caneel Bay in the Virgin Islands National Park/NPS file.

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

The agency wanted to do the testing years earlier. Back in 2014, the Park Service wanted a contractor to conduct more extensive soil sampling for potential environmental contamination at the resort, but resort operators then refused to allow that work to continue.

However, negotiations in late 2020 opened the door for environmental consultants to carry out landfill surveys and visually inspect buildings for signs of asbestos. Consultants gained access to the resort in February 2021 and work was completed by 25 February.

Environmental testing found a variety of waste, some hazardous to humans, on nearly eight acres of the once-thin resort, which was largely leveled in 2017 by successive hurricanes. levels of some pesticides, as well as “a mixture of harmless 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 examined in the environmental tests was an area that had been used for decades as a landfill for storing “all types of waste from the resort, including sewage sludge.”

Subsequent testing revealed asbestos-containing materials in building materials at the site.

In the first phase of environmental cleanup, the Park Service removed asbestos-containing debris from Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017. Work on the site for the removal of asbestos-containing waste began in January 2024 and ended in April. Approximately 58 tonnes of asbestos-containing waste was removed from three areas near Little Hawksnest, Scott Beach and Turtle Point to address risks to human health and the environment.

Proper safety protocols were followed during the removal, and all asbestos-containing debris was transported to a permitted landfill in Florida in May.

The second phase involves removing contaminated soil and sediment from the maintenance area and associated drainage channel. During this phase of work, the Park Service plans to remove approximately 288 cubic yards (BCY) of contaminated soil and 40 loose cubic yards of contaminated sediment. The term “cubic yards” refers to the volume of soil as it naturally exists in the ground in an undisturbed state, while “free 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 north shore of the national park will remain open to visitors. Portions of existing parking lots may be closed to serve as storage areas for sealed materials and equipment, and visitors may notice increased equipment noise. The Park Service is working with its contractors to minimize impact on visitors. To prevent the migration of contaminants through dust, erosion, etc., the removal contractor should take measures such as covering material stores at night and during times when they are not in active use.

In addition to the contractor performing the demolition work, the Park Service hired an independent “project monitor” to oversee the work. The project manager will monitor and supervise the work and collect confirmatory samples to ensure removal objectives are achieved. All confirmatory samples collected by the project monitor will be analyzed by an independent laboratory certified by the National Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program (NELAP) for metal and pesticide analysis. All hazardous waste removed from the site will be transported to an approved landfill in the continental United States.

Work on site is expected to begin in 2025. This second phase of removal work is partly funded by the Home Office’s Central Hazardous Materials Fund (CHF), with additional funds coming from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The Park Service looks forward to completing the next step to address risks to human health and the environment.

Cleanup efforts are 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 search process concessionaire to return housing to a picturesque area.