a brief recently handed to Premier the Hon. Sir John Swan.

And the Americans "don't agree with'' a $480,000 environmental study commissioned by the Bermuda Government to back demands for major clean-ups at the Bases, Capt. Tim Bryan said yesterday.

Capt. Bryan, Commanding Officer of the US Naval Air Station at St. David's that is scheduled to close on September 1, said a ten-page brief delivered to the Premier on April 28 was "a reaffirmation'' of positions he has already stated.

"There's nothing in this document that you aren't already aware of,'' Capt.

Bryan said.

His remarks were the first public comment by a US or Bermuda official on the contents of the latest American negotiating position.

Asked if the US was still demanding $140 million in compensation for "improvements'' to the Naval Air Station and US Naval Annex, Capt. Bryan said: "The short answer is yes.'' The US Government "sees value and validity in seeking some compensation for the improvements and assets that we're leaving behind, which were paid for by Americans and will now be used by the Government of Bermuda''.

Asked about the cost of depreciation and maintaining the buildings, as cited by the Bermuda Government, Capt. Bryan said: "All that was factored in.'' In a second key plank of the US position, it still wants the remainder of the original 99-year lease continued for Cooper's Island, where it plans to keep a National Aeronautic and Space Administration station.

Bermuda has said it wants the rent-free lease between the US and the United Kingdom torn up and a new deal signed for Cooper's Island.

Thirdly, the US stance on an environmental clean-up of the Bases has not changed, Capt. Bryan said.

The US promised to leave the lands "at least to a standard directed by the Secretary of Defence in closing overseas bases, and in many ways better,'' he said.

The US policy is to remove known risks to health and safety.

Bermuda "presented a fairly detailed study'' to the Americans by an environmental consultant but "we don't agree with it'', he said. "We didn't reject it completely'' but "there was nothing in there that we were not aware of.'' Management and Technology Minister the Hon. Grant Gibbons declined to comment yesterday on the American position.

Government had been "doing careful analysis'' of the document and hoped to get back to Capt. Bryan soon, Dr. Gibbons said.

A full negotiating meeting, called a plenary session, has still not been held since December, and no meeting is scheduled.

"We remain eager to re-establish a dialogue with the Government of Bermuda in a timely fashion via the plenary sessions to conclude our discussions leading to the US Naval withdrawal from Bermuda,'' Capt. Bryan said.