Virgin Islands National Park is actively managing the transition of Caneel Bay Resort to National Park Service (NPS) control, following a U.S. District Court ruling on April 22. The ruling affirmed the United States’ ownership of the land and mandated EHI Acquisitions, LLC to immediately transfer the resort improvements.
Currently, the Caneel Bay Resort area in St. John, VI, remains closed to the public due to hazardous conditions. However, Virgin Islands National Park, supported by the NPS Eastern Incident Management Team, is committed to re-establishing public access through a phased approach. This approach is based on the selected alternative outlined in the Caneel Bay Redevelopment and Management Environmental Assessment. The initial priority is to safely restore public beach access to this beloved area of St. John. Concurrently, assessments of the resort’s facilities and infrastructure are underway to determine the full scope of work needed for reopening.
“We appreciate the patience of our neighbors and visitors as we diligently work towards reinstating visitor services at Caneel Bay,” stated Virgin Islands National Park Superintendent Penny Del Bene. “Our primary objective is to welcome Virgin Islanders and tourists back to Caneel Bay as soon as it is safe to do so. The complete reopening of Caneel Bay Resort in St. John, VI, will be a process that requires time, and we thank everyone for their continued understanding.”
NPS personnel from across the nation have been deployed to the Virgin Islands to facilitate this complex transition. While there is no definitive timeline for a full public reopening of Caneel Bay Resort, updates and NPS development plans will be regularly posted at go.nps.gov/caneelbay. This website serves as the central hub for all official information regarding the Caneel Bay St John Vi transition.
Environmental Cleanup at Caneel Bay St John VI Under CERCLA Continues
In addition to the management transition, environmental cleanup efforts at Caneel Bay Resort are ongoing under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). The National Park Service has successfully completed the first phase of this critical environmental undertaking.
During this initial phase, NPS teams removed 317 cubic yards of nonfriable asbestos-containing material (ACM) debris. This debris, a result of the damage from Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017, was carefully transported to a permitted landfill in Florida for proper disposal.
This first stage of environmental cleanup at Caneel Bay began in January and concentrated on removing ACM debris from areas near Little Hawksnest, Scott Beach, and Turtle Point. It is important to note that this work specifically targeted asbestos-containing hurricane debris that was no longer attached to structures and did not involve any building demolition. Throughout the process, NPS and its contractors adhered to strict ACM-handling procedures and conducted daily air quality monitoring to ensure safety.
The NPS is committed to transparency and will provide further updates on the remaining CERCLA removal actions at Caneel Bay St John VI in the coming weeks.
For the most up-to-date information regarding the NPS environmental cleanup efforts and the overall Caneel Bay project, please visit https://www.nps.gov/viis/caneelbay.htm. This page will continue to be updated as progress is made in restoring Caneel Bay for the enjoyment of all.
