called the National Sports Centre a "farce''.

"It's a pathetic, unbelievable situation,'' said Barry Kessell, owner of Cedarberry (Bermuda) Ltd.

Cedarberry Ltd. is a local company that was sub-contracted by US-based DD Martin Surfacing Inc. to assist in resurfacing the new sports track.

But National Sports Centre Board of Trustees deputy chair Charles Marshall called Mr. Kessell's allegations "totally false, inaccurate, alarming'' and "possibly libellous''.

The Royal Gazette reported recently that the Bermuda National Stadium will re-open in January -- although it was originally scheduled to re-open in August.

And Mr. Kessell, who has been a contractor for more than 30 years, said he is entering a lawsuit with DD Martin for breach of contract and non-payment.

Mr. Kessell sites a number of complaints regarding Cedarberry's association with DD Martin on the project, including claims that he and his crew worked long hours -- sometimes 24-hour shifts -- and were not properly compensated for their labour.

But he said the situations he witnessed while working on site caused him to be frightened about his workers' safety and the health of the surrounding residents.

Mr. Kessell said he became seriously concerned when a paint remover was applied, left to dry, and scoured off the surface of the track.

But he claimed during the scouring, clouds of the debris could be seen floating into the air.

"The dust and paint remover was getting airborne...my foreman and I were concerned about the residue landing on the roofs and washing into the neighbourhood water tanks.

"It was being washed off the track, into the ground, which would leach into our water table.

"And 40 45-gallon drums were being used -- we were being asked to use massive amounts of a highly lethal chemical that we had to wear respirators to apply.

"We were scared...we were concerned about the safety of our workmen, about the people living nearby, and we asked for a contract relieving us of responsibility.

"Charlie Marshall and (Board of Trustees) chairman Donald Lines know everything -- and they've totally ignored the situation.'' Mr. Marshall denied receiving any correspondence from Mr. Kessell.

And Mr. Marshall said that residue from the stripping process was collected in blocked drains, shovelled into plastic bags, and properly disposed of.

"There's nothing more contaminating from (the paint remover) than from cars on the road -- you can buy this off the shelves in town,'' he said.

"And the necessary safety issues were discussed at length with Barry and the other responsible people,'' he added.

When the US-based manufacturer of the paint remover Bix Stripper was contacted about the situation, he said he planned to make a trip to Bermuda to assess the situation.

But after contacting several of the contractors involved, the manufacturer phoned The Royal Gazette to say he was "positive'' there could not have been any contamination.

He said the contractors told him the stripper was used for removing polyurethane, which could not enter the water table since it turns into a solid when exposed to water.

DD Martin Surfacing project manager John Schedler said Mr. Kessell's allegations were "completely unfounded'' and said they had used "extreme caution'' at the work site.

"The material we used dissipates completely, disintegrates. ..there's been so much caution on this project to make sure it's done right,'' he said.

"Extensive testing has been done to make sure this material is perfectly applicable to the concrete on site -- we want to make sure the track will last for years and years.

"This is a story from a scorned contractor who walked off the site -- and it's completely in left field,'' he added.

Mr. Kessell stated further: "The track they're proposing to lay is not designed to be laid on concrete -- it's designed to be laid on asphalt, if you want it to stay down and last for any length of time.'' "But I blame the Minister, John Barritt -- he should've stepped in a month ago. Now (the situation) is so out of control, they don't know how to handle it.'' Sport and Recreation Minister John Barritt called Mr. Kessell's allegations "incredulous'' and said would have investigated the issue had he been aware of Mr. Kessell's complaints.

"It is regrettable and reprehensible that Mr. Kessell has chosen to frighten the general public with what can only be regarded as irresponsible, misguided and unsubstantiated allegations -- all presumably for some ulterior purpose.''