NPS Steps Up Environmental Efforts at Caneel Bay with Second Phase of Hazardous Waste Removal

The National Park Service announced on Friday that it has awarded a contract for the second phase of environmental cleanup at the Caneel Bay Resort. This latest phase follows earlier efforts to address hazardous conditions left behind from past environmental contamination and damage caused by Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017. In this second phase, cleanup work will focus on the removal of contaminated soil and sediment from the maintenance area and a nearby drainage channel, known as Area 2, according to the release. NPS anticipates that approximately 288 bank cubic yards (BCY) of contaminated soil and 40 loose cubic yards of sediment will be excavated. "Bank cubic yards" refer to soil volume in its undisturbed, natural state, while "loose cubic yards" refer to the expanded volume after excavation. Cleanup operations are scheduled to begin on-site in 2025, with funding provided through the Department of the Interior’s Central Hazardous Materials Fund (CHF) and additional resources...