There is "little to no risk" that fresh oil from the Gulf of Mexico will reach Bermuda, Environment Minister Glenn Blakeney said today.

His comments followed claims by US researchers that the spill could reach the Island this summer.

According to computer models, the oil could drift over to the East Coast as early as next month and get carried on currents across the Atlantic Ocean and Bermuda before moving on to Europe.

It is not clear yet what effect this could have on the local environment or what plans are in place to combat it.

Mr. Blakeney told the House of Assembly today: "There is presently not too much concern about a submerged plume of emulsified oil reaching the Atlantic because the levels or concentration of this material in the water column seems to quickly fall to a few parts per billion or per trillion parts of sea water that is barely measurable within 50 miles of the source of the oil.

"There is also little to no risk of fresh oil reaching Bermuda."

For the full story see tomorrow’s edition of The Royal Gazette.