hard for Bermudians to believe that the Tyne's Bay Incinerator is well under way. That huge structure and the smoke stack sandwiched between North Shore and Palmetto Road are a reality. The building is up and the stack is going to be painted sky blue.

Like it or not, and many people are still unhappy at the idea of an incinerator, especially an incinerator without scrubbers, it is a reality. It is going to happen. Bermuda will burn its garbage.

There is no doubt that we have not heard the last of this mass burn project.

There are still major concerns even on the part of those people who recognise that the incinerator is preferable to Pembroke Dump.

The sensible objections to the incinerator by such people as Mr. Alan Dunch on behalf of the Bermuda National Trust and Mr. Ottiwell Simmons on behalf of the Bermuda Industrial Union, have doubtless led to a safer and more acceptable unit than we might have had. This came about largely because the Development Applications Board was encouraged to place some safeguards on the plant.

It is fashionable in Government today to say the incinerator would have cost a great deal less without the objectors. That is hardly a viable argument from people who had a duty to ensure the incinerator's safety in the first place.

We would however agree that Mr. Stuart Hayward MP did object to the incinerator longer than was reasonable.

There came a point in the planning stage when it was clear that the incinerator would be built because conditions for people living near Pembroke Dump were becoming intolerable and thus there was a desperate need to solve the horrible problems of dumping. As we see it, at that point objectors had a duty to their fellow Bermudians to get the best incinerator they could and let the job get done. Mr. Hayward did not recognise that and simply went on, finally suggesting an incinerator ban which would have meant garbage chaos.

There are still serious uncertainties and concerns. One of these is fear for the Devonshire water lens because the incinerator is so close. A second concern is also caused by water, the rain water we catch on the roof and drink because people fear what poisons might come out of that sky blue stack.

This newspaper was very concerned to learn that there is only going to be one recycling sorting of garbage. The garbage sorting done by people at home is the only one. There is no further selection or sorting at the garbage plant.

Surely that will eventually mean mandatory sorting will be necessary.

It remains now to behave reasonably but to keep a close eye on the incinerator. Bermuda must know that the plant is operated well, that toxins are kept out of the burn stream and that emissions meet acceptable but high standards.