Critics of plans to build a concrete pool at the National Sports Centre (NSC) are basing their objections on "incomplete and unsubstantiated" information, it has been claimed.

Sean Tucker, chairman of the NSC's board of trustees, told The Royal Gazette a concrete pool appeared the best option for Bermuda in terms of environmental impact and benefit to the local economy.

He spoke out after an opinion piece by Bermuda Environmental and Sustainability Taskforce (BEST) in Wednesday's newspaper claimed the public had yet to receive satisfactory answers to questions about pool choice.

BEST favours a stainless steel pool with a 30-year warranty, made by an overseas company called Myrtha, as does Bermuda Amateur Swimming Association (BASA).

Mr. Tucker said neither BEST nor BASA had ever designed, constructed or operated a pool that met the standards of FINA, the international governing body for swimming, yet both "claim knowledge and expertise that supersedes that of our consultant team".

"Their information is incomplete and unsubstantiated," added Mr. Tucker. "We stand by our decision without reservation."

BASA past president Tab Froud, who negotiated with the trustees for the pool, said: "While BASA and BEST are not in the pool design and construction business, Myrtha is in the pool building business and has built many more pools and aquatics centres than the NSC trustees and its consultant. They have pools in countries around the world and in 35 of the US states.

"With all due respect to the trustees and the work that has been done, it is our opinion that a decision to build the wrong design pool and system is being made at a high cost to the Bermudian public."

Mr. Tucker insisted a concrete pool would have less environmental impact than a product "that will undeniably rust and deteriorate over time".

"Our engineers have unbiasedly reviewed the different construction assemblies and concluded that the Myrtha system is not appropriate for the Bermuda environment and climate," he said.

He added that the trustees preferred to use local construction materials and workers.

Mr. Froud said the Canadian consultant giving advice to the trustees on the choice of pool was also project manager for the development "so it could be stated that a conflict of interest might be in this train of thought".

"They are only using locals to pour the concrete," he added.

Mr. Tucker said the trustees hoped to "break ground very shortly" on the pool, adding that they decided against separate swimming and diving pools for cost reasons.

He claimed BASA supplied a one-page cost estimate for their idea, compared to a 100-plus page cost estimate from consultants Cannon Design Ltd., of British Columbia. "No confidence can be placed in the incomplete information provided by BASA," he said.

Ian Gordon, chairman's of BASA's pool subcommittee, said: "The trustees of NSC and the [Sports] Minister received a turnkey proposal to build the Aquatic Centre from a local construction company working with the Myrtha system. The turnkey offer and cost evaluation were from the construction company, not BASA or BEST."

Mr. Tucker said: "Myrtha have confirmed to us that they have withdrawn from this project and have had no communication with BEST or BASA for several months."

BEST said in a statement that Mr. Tucker had ignored major issues, including the cost of the single pool; heating costs; inability to host major games; failure to provide permanent changing rooms; failure to have separate concept and construction managers; and the issue of the warranty.

The Sports Ministry did not provide a comment by press time.