The National Park Service says the third and final phase of environmental cleanup at Caneel Bay is on hold while the federal funding allocated to the work is reassessed. The phase is intended to address hazardous-substance contamination in an unauthorized landfill near Honeymoon Beach.
NPS has not identified the amount under review, explained why the reassessment is occurring or announced a date for work to resume. The hold is specific to the final landfill phase and should not be described as a cancellation of the wider cleanup or redevelopment process.
The agency says its first cleanup phase removed asbestos-containing hurricane debris. During the second phase, approximately 570 tons of soil and sediment contaminated with barium, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and pesticides were removed between July and September 2025; NPS says efforts to complete that phase continue.
Caneel Beach remains open through designated public areas, but other sections of the former resort remain closed because of safety risks and the pier remains closed. Visitors should follow posted access limits and current National Park Service guidance.
The National Park Service should publish the funding amount under reassessment, the decision timeline, interim site protections and the conditions required for the landfill cleanup to restart.
Source published Status verified September 16, 2026. Read the original reporting or release for the complete record.
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