Moves are underway to kick-start the multimillion dollar clean-up of Morgan's Point, with contractors invited to apply for tender.

Those interested have until 3 p.m. on Friday to submit a 'Request for Qualification' to Government.

An advertisement in the Official Gazette on November 7 stated: 'The Ministry of Works and Engineering is currently in the process of reviewing potential contractors for the undertaking of remediation works at Morgan's Point.

'Interested contractors are invited to obtain a pre-qualification package from the Ministry of Works and Engineering reception desk.'

The former US Naval Air Station is heavily polluted with asbestos, metals, petroleum products and other chemicals.

Any environmental remediation will have to tackle 500,000 gallons of jet fuel lying dormant, while Bassett's Cave has a layer of viscous oil some two feet deep floating on the surface.

Whoever is awarded the work faces significant challenges. Storage tanks used to store petroleum products such as lubricating oils, diesel, kerosene and jet fuel, have cracked and corroded over time, resulting in leaks.

Morgan's Point also has concrete sea plane ramps and reinforced buildings with walls several feet thick — some of which contain asbestos.

Government says taxpayers will foot the bill of the clean-up, which is necessary to pave the way for the proposed Jumeirah resort.

It is not yet known what those costs will be, but an independent report in 1997 by consultants J.A. Jones Environmental Services Company estimated the clean-up of the 260-acre peninsula at $15 million.

Opposition MP Dr. Grant Gibbons, former Management and Technology Minister, said the removal of hazardous waste could now reach $25 million, although former Environment Minister El James refuted this earlier this year.

Mr. James said remediation work would not cost this much, but that an accurate sum was not yet available.

Government allocated $125.3 million in this year's Budget to capital projects, including the clean-up of Morgan's Point.

It issued an RFP (Request for Proposals) for 'client representation services' in July 2007 for a tender to manage the process.

The clean-up of the peninsula was recommended both in Bermuda's draft Sustainable Development Strategy and Implementation Plan (SDSIP) and by the Sustainable Development Roundtable.

The SDSIP stated: "The continuing pressure for development on open space elsewhere on the Island could be relieved by using Morgan's Point.

"The trade-off is protecting greenfield sites across Bermuda from development, by utilising Morgan's Point which is a 'brownfield' site due to its previous development and resultant contamination."

The Sustainable Development Roundtable, at a meeting in November 2005, concluded: "The SDRT feels strongly that the highest priority for the Morgan's Point property is to clean it up so that it becomes usable.

"It is a piece of land that could enable us to save high quality land elsewhere, and protect open space in densely populated areas."