While the United Bermuda Party insists on knowing how and when the toxic waste on the former baselands will be cleaned up and how much it will cost the taxpayer, Government is saying that much has been gained already and negotiations continue.

Tuesday night, Works and Engineering Minister Alex Scott - who has responsibility for the bases - told The Royal Gazette that contrary to UBP pronouncements on the matter, his Government has not come up empty handed.

And he said that the possibility of the British paying for the cleanup was one of the options.

"I think we've done extremely well in taking the first step in getting the settlement," he said. "As I pointed out on Friday, the previous Government did nothing. They said they knew how to make a deal but they came up empty handed."

On Friday night the bill, which would effectively and formally terminate the lease of some ten percent of Bermuda's land mass to the United States, was derided by the UBP who said that Government should have continued to negotiate.

"We are not the Government," said MP Michael Dunkley. "The figures we present will be three or four years old. The Premier said she did not know the full extent of the cost of the clean up. What's the rush, when we don't know what the cost is?

"It's a recipe for disaster. We can't call this a job well done - that's the best we can get? Let's sell out and go home. Is this the new Bermuda?"

The Opposition did not accept Government's contention that the Bill's provisions - for an $11 million one-off payment for replacing Longbird Bridge, assurances that the US will look into assistance for the regiment and a possible coast guard, and promises to look favourably on requests for assistance - was anything to smile about.

Opposition Leader Grant Gibbons said that the cost for cleaning up the American waste had been estimated at $65 million and Government has not yet explained who will pay that bill.

The waste includes asbestos, heavy metals and 500,000 gallons of jet fuel at Morgan's Point. "I'm surprised they (the Americans) didn't come back and get it because they probably could have sold it," he said of the jet fuel.

"We, on this side of the House, were not prepared (when the UBP was Government) to come in and have the taxpayer pay $65 million, and that is what we have today."

Mr. Scott repeated Government's position that the negotiations were still ongoing.

"We can manage a resolution to the environment circumstances that the US left behind. The Premier made certain points - it's not closed yet; its not over," the Minister said. "The technologies (that) exists - even as we speak - for remediating various aspects of environmental contamination are changing. There are agents that literally consume chemical agents now."

He said the UBP did the country a disservice and misled the country during the debate by saying that Canada got a $100 million payoff from the Americans in similar circumstances for its base at Argentia, Newfoundland.

"It was not cash, it was military hardware, and it was for the Canadians a quid pro quo... we will give you military hardware and you will clean up your waste. In the case of Bermuda what is yet to unfold is what will be the final package."

He said when the final package is put together it may be quite comparable to what the Canadians negotiated.

"Eleven million (dollars) is one of the most significant payments made to any country in these type of circumstances," Mr. Scott said.

"It's really pushing the limits of understanding of what Mr. Gibbons is trying to get across to the public. The Opposition went as far as saying 'our efforts ended with absolutely nothing more than rocks, however that is a better deal than what the PLP settled on because we were going to hold out for something more."

He said: "I gave instructions that every nail, every bolt, every man-hour on that (Longbird) bridge, the Americans were to be billed for.... so that there was now a file on the appropriate debt in the US that literally identified a cash indebtedness to Bermuda...The UBP didn't press the case like this.

"The fact remains that the deal isn't complete and the waste can be cleaned up," he continued.

"The group that has resolved this issue in three years certainly is going to do a better job than the previous government in dealing with the environmental issues that are remaining."

He challenged MP Trevor Moniz to show evidence of his claim made this week that some of the waste is radioactive.

"I don't know (if) there's radioactive waste there and I don't think Mr. Moniz knows. If he can produce scientific information then we will act accordingly.

"Now he's duty bound to produce it or withdraw it or apologise because that's a very serious allegation."

Mr. Scott said the $65 million clean up estimate was speculative.

"We may find that $65 million is not accurate and it can be cleaned up for far less. There are various ways that it can be done. And it does not mean that Bermuda will have to do it," he said.

"The figure is just a speculative figure until we have a clear accounting of what is required to clean up whatever waste is there and then how we go about remediating it." He said the option is finding a "partner", utilising new technology or both.

"Bermuda is still a British colony - the British may choose to lend a hand."