The sticky layer of grime that collects on Peter and Lucy Willitts' garden furniture as a result of smoke from the nearby Belco plant is more than just an annoyance — it's a symbol of the pollution they fear could affect their health.

Because while they can wipe clean their tables and chairs with a damp cloth, it's not so easy to do that with residue that gathers inside your lungs.

The Willitts are among a group of more than 100 residents who have lodged objection letters against Belco's plans to add three more emissions stacks to the two it already has at Pembroke.

As fears grow that the development would increase pollution, Mr. and Mrs. Willitts are calling for the results of air quality tests carried out by Belco to be made public.

Belco says it provides quarterly updates to the Ministry of Environment, but yesterday the Ministry was unable to say how, if at all, the public can get access to those test results.

This is the kind of data Mr. and Mrs. Willitts would be able to demand access to if freedom of information legislation was introduced in Bermuda.

The Royal Gazette's A Right To Know campaign is calling for Government to return plans for public access to information (PATI) to the top of the Progressive Labour Party's agenda.

"For a number of years now, our metal furniture has been getting a nice sticky substance — an oil-based residue gets put over it," said Mr. Willitts.

"That doesn't perturb me too much because we can clean it off before we sit down. What worries me is what I'm breathing. I'm more worried about ingestion.

"Even on a nice quiet night, you can see that stuff bellowing out. Sometimes the wind brings it right in our direction. If it's not in your backyard you are not worried. But to us it's a health problem."

Mr. Willitts said he would like Government or Belco to commission a survey into respiratory conditions of the plant's neighbours.

He added: "The Belco person comes up and checks the air quality, but we never get any feedback."

Yesterday, a Belco spokeswoman said the plant's emissions were within the Clean Air Act and that the new proposed towers would be higher than the existing ones to help disperse smoke away from homes.

She said she understood information on Belco's emissions was available to the public via the Environment Protection Division.

Yesterday, the Ministry of Environment was unable to answer how often Government is provided with air quality results, whether up-to-date information is available to the public and, if so, how the public can get access to it. An answer is expected later this week.