incinerator have been made public.

And Government believes that the conclusions from the two reports are mainly positive.

But Independent MP Mr. Stuart Hayward said that tests carried out away from Bermuda are inconclusive.

The Bermuda Biological Station and the Water Quality Institute, of Denmark, produced the reports to ease fears that the incinerator will damage the Islands' environment. They looked into problems of dumping ash from the incinerator and smoke.

They also suggested that the ash should be dumped in Tynes Bay itself rather than the planned dump site in Castle Harbour.

Minister of Works and Engineering the Hon. Ann Cartwright DeCouto said: "The uses of the study are three-fold. First it establishes chemical, biological and hydraulic baseline data prior to the disposal of incinerator ash.

"As such, it is an important step in meeting a condition of the Development Applications Board's approval of the incinerator, that the trace element concentrations in the water, sediment and biota near the site of ash disposal shall be monitored and tested.

"Second, the study predicts the composition of the leachate from the ash under the various disposal scenarios and the resultant effects on the marine environment.

"Third, the study suggests acceptance criteria for the emission of contaminants into sea water to protect the marine organisms from bioaccumulation and toxic effects.'' Studies were carried out on ash from two incinerators in Massachusetts and in Jersey in the Channel Islands. There were also tests on other forms of ashes and where to place them when they are put into concrete blocks.

Mrs. Cartwright DeCouto said: "The results of the environmental impact study are positive. All proposed disposal scenarios are shown to be environmentally acceptable, including the worst case, direct dumping of unsolidified ash into Castle Harbour.

"The most environmentally favourable option is the disposal of cement-stabilised ash in Tynes Bay, which is preferred over Castle Harbour. It has greater dilution potential.

"The Ministry will now consider the implications of changing the disposal site from Castle Harbour to Tynes Bay.'' Mrs. Cartwright DeCouto pointed out that the studies were based on the worst case. She said: "That is with out the removal of wastes containing significant quantities of heavy metals.

"The Ministry is actively promoting and encouraging recycling of items containing heavy metals such as lead acid batteries, household batteries and fluorescent tubes.

"The removal of these items from our waste stream shall reduce the quantity of heavy metals having a potential to leach from the ash.'' In Parliament on Friday, Mr. Hayward said the reports should have been made public earlier.

He said he believed that the Government has known all along that it will be using Tynes Bay as a dumping ground.

The Independent MP said: "Our organisms are more sensitive because we are in the northernmost islands for coral reefs.

"Any studies should have been done locally and not rely on tests done outside of Bermuda.'' He is also concerned that the air quality programme was underfunded and fears the consequences of underfunding once the incinerator is up and running.

Mr. Stuart Hayward MP.