Bermuda's case for compensation, it was revealed yesterday.

The Island wants an estimated $55 million from the US for work on the old US Naval Air Station and the ex-Naval Annex -- set up under the same Second World War lease as the two Canadian bases involved.

And both Premier Pamela Gordon and Finance Minister Grant Gibbons -- just back from a whistle-stop visit to American legislators in Washington -- said the Canadian deal backed up Bermuda's case for a clean-up.

Ms Gordon said: "I hope so -- I think the strongest point we have is that Bermuda's base and the Canadian ones both come under the 1941 leased bases agreement.'' She added: "What was really significant about the Canadian success was that it did get derailed -- but it got some assistance and its now passed both both houses in the US.'' And Dr. Gibbons said: "Now that that has been settled...we'll be able to push ahead with Bermuda's case.'' The Premier and Dr. Gibbons met Congressmen and Senators, including the next chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, John Warner.

And Ms Gordon said: "He has agreed to actively pursue and look at Bermuda's position so we felt very encouraged by that meeting.'' The two were speaking after they revealed details of the Washington trip, the latest in a series since the US Navy pulled out of Bermuda in 1995.

And they said the Island had taken a softly, softly approach to the issue in recent months -- until after the Canadian deal, due to be signed by President Clinton soon, was completed.

Ms Gordon explained: "We recognised that this was going to be a precedent-setting move.

"If the Canadians were able to get somewhere with the US, then we knew that at least having a precedent set, it would make it a lot easier for us to make Bermuda's case.

"We're now taking a bit of a higher profile on this.'' The US insists that it has no obligation to clean up its mess -- which includes oil, tons of asbestos and lead -- unless it poses an "known imminent and substantial danger to human health and safety.'' But Dr. Gibbons said he and the Premier had been working with a number of Senators and Congressmen in the US sympathetic to Bermuda's claim on the US purse.

They added that it had been made clear to them that, to be successful, bipartisan support from Democrats and Republicans would be needed.

And the Premier said the message that both Britain and Canada had accepted their responsibilities and cleaned up their bases was "an incentive'' for the US to accept its responsibilities.

Dr. Gibbons added: "We feel very strongly the US Navy has an obligation under international law and certainly a moral obligation as well.'' Base clean-up hopes increase Surveys carried out for the Bermuda Government by US and Canadian firms familiar with US rules on pollution were rejected by the American authorities.

Dr. Gibbons said: "One of the things the US Navy has done -- which is very remiss -- is that they haven't carried out any samples of their own and there was very minimal work done before the bases were closed.

"The Navy, in spite of the fact that it has criticised our results, have done no work.'' But Dr. Gibbons said "a detailed rebuttal'' of the US attack on the Bermuda-organised surveys would soon be on its way to American legislators.

The Canadian deal was blocked last year amid fears it would lead to a rush of claims from former US bases in foreign countries, axed after the Cold War with the former Soviet Union ended.

And cash to clean up bases means less available from the US defence budget to pay for servicemen and military hardware.

TOUCHING BASE! -- Premier Pamela Gordon puts the case for compensation over the clean-up of the old US Naval Air Station to Sen. John Warner, chairman of the US Senate Armed Services Committee.