A row over the move of more than 100 containers of asbestos by the Works and Engineering Department is a storm in a teacup, Government said yesterday.

A Government spokesman said shifting two lots of about 60 containers from Morgan's Point to the Government Quarry at Bailey's Bay and from Marginal Wharf, St. George's to a warehouse at the east edge of the old US Naval Air Station presented no danger to the public.

The spokesman said: "The asbestos is double-bagged to US Environmental Protection Agency standards and both bags are sealed then sealed again inside the containers.'' He was speaking after Shadow Environment Minister Leon (Jimmy) Williams hit out at the move of asbestos over the weekend without a public announcement.

Environment Minister Irving Pearman said: "We have all known for a long time that, with the turning over of parts of the Base lands to the Development Company, we had to remove some of the asbestos from the West End -- we've been doing it for some time now.

"There is nothing sinister or secretive about it. And asbestos is an inert material -- it's perfectly safe the way we have it.'' The controversy is the latest in the long-running saga of asbestos disposal on the Island.

Government sparked fury when it announced it favoured dumping the waste in two miles of ocean at a site 12 miles off the Island.

International environmental watchdogs Greenpeace vowed to wage a damaging propaganda war against Bermuda -- and take direct action to disrupt any marine disposal operations.

Mr. Pearman said yesterday that Government was still discussing the issue of asbestos generated from the old US bases.

He added, however, suggestions that the waste could go to commercial landfill sites in the US had been ruled out due to the "extremely expensive'' potential liability.

But he added: "I don't think there is any plan to dispose of asbestos at sea imminently. It's one of the options.'' Morgan's Point -- the 250 acre site of the former US Naval Annex -- will be developed into a multi-million dollar golf course, village, housing marina and cottage colony.

Construction is due to start sometime between October and December, depending on planning permission.

But Mr. Williams refused to be mollified and said: "They should have let Bermudians know that hazardous waste was going to be travelling on the roads to the quarry.'' And he said he was convinced Government intended to dump the waste in the sea at some point.

Mr. Williams added: "Bermudians are concerned about this asbestos and they know there are those out there who are watchdogs and they are watching very closely.''