Government analysts will test the Island's ground water during the next few weeks to make sure it is not contaminated by a gasoline additive which has tainted water supplies in the US.

And local gasoline distributors last week moved to allay any fears residents may have about the presence of the oxygenate MTBE in their products.

While Esso and Shell Bermuda did not deny that the additive was present in their respective gasolines, both moved to reassure the public that proper safety measures were in place to prevent large scale leaks or spills.

A story by the Associated Press last week described how MTBE leaked into the water supply of Santa Monica, California from several underground tanks at gas stations in 1995.

At least half the wells had to shut down and the town is now importing most of its water from Southern California's main wholesaler.

Clean-up costs were estimated at around $100 million.

MTBE was also found to be in the water supply of Glenville in California's Sierra Nevada.

The story said the town was "devastated'' by the contamination, which registered at 20,000 parts per billion.

As a result of these and other cases, the state of California decided to phase out the use of MTBE by the end of 2002.

Another Associated Press article reported that the US Congress was under growing pressure to give states freer reign in the regulation of what is added to their gasoline.

It noted that eight north-eastern states, from New Jersey to Maine, were hoping for more control in the adding of certain substances, particularly MTBE.

Government hydrogeologist Mark Rowe said he had received calls from several residents who voiced their concerns that the additive may have found its way into the Island's water lens.

He said: "The public are concerned about this and, for that reason, we are acting on it.''.

Mr. Rowe explained that the Environment Ministry would be conducting tests on wells and other water sources in the next few weeks to see if there were any traces of the additive to be found. He added that MTBE was being treated with "raised awareness'' by Government "simply because it was found to be so widespread in the States'' and also because of its unknown toxicity.

"We can't just assume its not in the water and I think the fact it was found to be so common in the US deserves a certain amount of scrutiny,'' Mr. Rowe said. "The authorities have been alerted that it needs to be studied.'' While adding that "there is a good chance we won't find any MTBE in the water'', Mr. Rowe said: "There are just so many unknowns about this substance that we just won't know until the tests are done.'' Asked if MTBE was used in Esso's gasoline, local general manager Ed Addelson said: "Yes, our gasoline has small amounts of it in it.'' But he added: "It is only a problem if it gets into the water and we have a very tight policy about tanks and distribution to stations so that it doesn't get into the ground.'' Mr. Addelson said he was not aware of any cases of contamination caused by MTBE in Bermuda.

"But we have found it to be useful additive,'' he said, "because it helps gasoline burn more completely and reduces pollution.'' Shell Bermuda's Oil products manager David Rose said the company's local gasoline had only showed "trace'' levels of oxygen content which is made up from MTBE and other components such as alcohol.

He added that while Shell was aware of the situation in California with regards to MTBE, the decision to ban use of it there "was not made on health grounds, but because of the taste and odour impact''.

Asked if he knew MTBE to be dangerous to human health, Mr. Rose said studies concluded that the additive "has a low order of acute toxicity''.

"As a result,'' he said, "the International Agency for Research on Cancer decided there was a lack of evidence to justify any classification as human carcinogen.'' Mr. Rose reassured the public that Shell Bermuda was doing everything it could to guard against leaks and spills of gasoline. He said one of its aims was to provide "total containment'' for underground systems at retail sites, "monitored by sophisticated automatic leak detection systems''.

Also, Mr. Rose noted that The Shell Group had recently taken the decision "to reassess the overall risks and benefits'' connected with the use of MTBE and "will continue to investigate possible alternatives to MTBE''.

"However,'' he added, "this is a complex issue which will require discussion with relevant bodies, such as health and regulatory bodies, the motor industry, Government and others.'' WATER WAT