The National Park Service plans to pull nearly 60,000 gallons of contaminated soil from the Caneel Bay Resort site that federal officials said could pose a risk to human health and the environment.
The removal of 288 cubic yards of soil marks the start of the second phase of cleanup at the once elegant hotel torn to pieces by the hurricanes of 2017, park officials said in a media release Friday. Work was scheduled to start in 2025.
The soil will be analyzed for metals, pesticides, and other contaminants by an independent laboratory with National Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program certifications then barged to a permitted landfill on the mainland, according to park officials. The park service has hired an independent project manager to oversee the work.
Potentially hazardous materials will be covered when not in use to prevent contaminants spreading through dust, erosion, or runoff from rain, the park service said.
Honeymoon Beach and Caneel Beach will remain open during the second phase of work. Portions of the existing Caneel parking lots may be closed off to be used as staging areas for equipment and sealed containers of the gathered material. There may also be increased noise from the excavation. The park service said it was working to minimize the impact on visitors’ experiences at the postcard-perfect beaches.
From January to April, the park service removed roughly 58 tons of asbestos-containing debris blown around by Hurricanes Irma and Maria. The dangerous debris was found near Little Hawksnest, Scott Beach, and Turtle Point. All asbestos-containing debris was disposed of at a permitted landfill in Florida in May, according to the park service.
The once premier St. John resort had been mired in a legal dispute since 2022 when the previous leaseholder, EHI Acquisitions, sued the government over ownership of the land and its improvements. The V.I. District Court ruled in April that the resort, and the 150 acres of prime beachfront land it sits on, belong to the U.S. government. The park service decided to move ahead with redevelopment even as EHI appeals the decision to the Third Circuit Court of Appeals.
The storied property was originally established by Laurance Rockefeller and Jackson Hole Preserve, Inc. as one of its “Rockresort” locations in the mid-1950s. It represented an early model of eco-tourist luxury accommodations, park officials have said.
