Two Americans involved in testing the environmental condition of the US Base were sent home after they were stopped for driving under the influence on the weekend.

Mr. Peter Uhlman, vice president of RT Environmental Services Inc. of Pennsylvania and project manager for the $480,000 environmental contract, confirmed last week that two Americans employed by a sub-contractor returned to the States as a result of "a personnel issue''.

He would neither confirm nor deny that Base Security had stopped them for suspected drunk driving of livery cycles on the Base.

But a source at the US Naval Air Station said the two men "wobbled'' onto the Base on their bikes and were stopped by Base Security.

"I had two sub-contractors who were involved in what I would term a personnel issue,'' Mr. Uhlman told The Royal Gazette . "There was a personnel decision made by our sub-contractor to remove these gentlemen from the project.'' He did not identify the men, nor which of several sub-contractors they worked for.

The pair -- a labourer and a skilled worker -- returned to the United States and were replaced by a Bermudian and another American "at no cost to the Government of Bermuda,'' he said.

Mr. Uhlman said the work was on schedule and under budget.

The Navy is quitting the Base at St. David's on September 1. Not content with environmental assurances from the US Navy, Government hired the consultant to find out just what the Americans were leaving behind.

Work, which is expected to continue until early next year, includes drilling and soil and water sampling and analysis.

Woodbourne Associates Ltd. of Bermuda is assisting with surveying, while Atlantic Water Development Ltd. is helping with drilling. Bermudian Mr.

Charles Nearon of civil engineers Pembroke Associates is the Bermudian liaison involved with project management.