new green law yesterday.

The 1999 Clean Air Amendment Act passed through the Upper Chamber with no objections during a short Senate meeting yesterday.

It means Belco and the Tynes Bay incinerator will be given five years to meet tougher emissions standards.

The new law will also mean less pollution from vehicle spray shops, dry cleaners and firms using gas and diesel pumps.

And the Environmental Authority will be in charge of making sure the new law is complied with.

Government Sen. Calvin Smith introduced the new law, saying it included "a number of options to upgrade air quality''.

Opposition Sen. Kim Swan said the United Bermuda Party had no objections but added that a close watch should be kept on cruise ship emissions.

"Clean air is a precious commodity,'' he said. "It's a vital commodity. It's something we can easily take for granted.'' Independent Sen. Walwyn Hughes said the new law typified Bermuda's effort to help clean up the world's environment. "We are very fortunate in Bermuda generally to have a high quality of air,'' he said.

"But it's important from a local population and a world population point of view that every country, no matter how small, does its part.

"This is another step towards promoting the quality of our life and the quality of our air, so I'm supportive.'' Opposition Senate Leader Maxwell Burgess warned the law should include a "more realistic timetable'' to be enforced by the Environment Ministry, not the Environmental Authority.

PLP Sen. David Burch immediately claimed he was living in "the old Bermuda''.

But Sen. Burgess added: "Old habits die hard and it's with that experience that I sit on this side and tell you that you are setting yourselves up for a `never ever plan'.

"I'm not a rocket scientist but I'm an old pro. You may want to consider whether or not you really want to leave it at the discretion of the environmental officers.

"If you believe clean air is important enough, enshrine it in law and come back to law for your flexibility. Then you will see how desperately they will meet your deadlines.'' Government Senate Leader Milton Scott said the five-year timeframe and enforcement by technical officers allowed a proper consultation process.

He said: "For instance, spray shops will have to face restrictions and have expensive systems to take the emissions out. There will be some cost.'' United Bermuda Party Sen. and Paget West parliamentary candidate Patricia Gordon-Pamplin said the Tynes Bay incinerator and Belco were the biggest causes for concern.

But Senate President Alf Oughton , who quit as a Belco director after 40 years with the firm last week, said: "Bermuda can be very proud of its Clean Air Act.

"This is probably one of the most stringent in the world. And I can assure you that the Environmental Authority are very good watchdogs.'' Sen. Oughton, head of Belco when the Act was first introduced in 1991, said the five-year timeframe for compliance was ideal.

And Sen. Smith, closing the debate, said: "This Act is designed to remove limits on the powers of the Environmental Authority.

"Belco has removed dirty engines and retired a waste heat-collection system.'' He also said cruise ships were regularly tested in St. Georges, Hamilton and Dockyard, adding: "We could do serious damage to the economy by immediately forcing them to come into compliance.'' Organised criminals were warned by Senators they would have no place to hide yesterday.

But members of the Upper Chamber first pleaded with the public to help report hoodlums to the Police.

The 11-member Senate united to condemn Monday's double armed robbery, being investigated by the Police with the two bandits still on the run.

One of the raiders pulled a gun in both robberies, firing it several times only for the weapon to jam.

Opposition Senate Leader Maxwell Burgess said: "We have people engaging in senseless acts of crime and putting at risk the great works that people are attempting to do to afford all of us the standard of living that we have come to enjoy.

"That behaviour is unacceptable. I can only pray that the culprits are caught and brought to justice and I urge that the gravity of the law comes down on those persons. I believe that if justice is their portion, Bermuda will be the better off for it and we must urge our fellow Bermudians to buy into the notion that crime doesn't pay. Crime doesn't work here.'' He said the robberies jeopardised Bermuda's "buoyant economy'' and he urged the Home Affairs Minister -- his successor Paula Cox -- to "bring the Police Service up to scratch''.

Sen. Burgess added: "We are faced with the situation where, if we rang the Police to say the Senate was under siege, the person who responds would have between three and five years' experience.'' He also accused the new Government of turning crime into political point-scoring, saying: "If the PLP Government continues to be trite, we will continue to have crime. It's unacceptable, unacceptable, unacceptable.'' Government Sen. Calvin Smith warned against over-reaction, adding: "Bermudians are by and large, wonderful law-abiding people.

"We went for years through discrimination with hardly any civil disturbances.

Basically we are nice people.'' He added that hysteria "scared the living daylights'' out of visitors.

Sen. Smith added: "We will deal with this. We will deal with it calmly. We will deal with it with the full recognition that most Bermudians are not terrible and will not beat people over the head.'' Government Senate Leader Milton Scott insisted the PLP was not soft on crime, saying the new Budget would "help to put crime in its place''. "We can't afford to lose any more of our young people,'' he said. "Some of the young people who are disruptive are some of the very people who can make a positive contribution to our society.'' UBP Sen. Patricia Gordon-Pamplin also deplored the violence, adding that her own nephew, Policeman and football referee Anthony Mouchette, was hit by a bottle during a weekend soccer match.

Sen. Kim Swan warned that criminals were organised and "forward-planning'', requiring a professional response from Government agencies.

Kim Swan