end up in the dock of international courts on a human rights rap over proposals to dump tons of asbestos in the sea.

The blast came after US-based international human rights lawyer Ian Anderson warned that Bermuda could land in trouble if asbestos dumped at sea ever escaped from the depths.

And he said that Bermuda being in a hurricane zone increased the risk of asbestos finding its way to shore -- which could leave the Island open to legal action totalling billions of dollars in costs.

But Ministry of Environment Permanent Secretary James Burnett-Herkes said if Bermuda chose to dump asbestos in the ocean, the conditions would be such there was no chance of it ever resurfacing.

Dr. Burnett-Herkes was speaking after Mr. Anderson, a New York attorney specialising in human rights, said the UK and Bermuda could be hauled before the European Union and the UN World Court in Holland.

He said: "Mr. Anderson is making some assumptions about asbestos ever washing ashore.

"We are still looking at a number of options -- if deep ocean dumping is the disposal method of choice a number of precautions will be taken.'' Dr. Burnett-Herkes added the asbestos would be sealed in steel containers loaded down in concrete and pointed out much of the asbestos was mixed with concrete already.