Dumped plans for a compost plant could be pulled off the dung heap.

US environmentalists want to reopen talks to build the operation in Bermuda after being turned away from the old US Naval Base in St. David's.

Experts from New Hampshire-based Bioferm said they had already changed their name to Bermuda Compost Systems International after fine-tuning their technology for the Island.

And Chief Executive Officer T. Christopher Thurlby revealed the firm was still trying to convince Bermudian authorities that the plant would bring economic and environmental benefits.

The Royal Gazette recently reported Bioferm and the Bermuda Land Development Corporation had called off negotiations for the plant at Southside. The hi-tech facility would have created soil out of compost waste.

But there was a wave of public protests. And residents in St. David's voiced fears about noise, smell, rats and other environmental problems.

Mr. Thurlby wrote to The Royal Gazette , claiming his firm would be "a good neighbour''.

"Our process will not be offensive to our neighbours,'' he said. "The in-vessel and aerobic nature of the technology eliminates odour problems as well as the undesirable attraction of decomposing matter, rodents and bird life.'' He also said noise would not have affected residents -- because the St.

David's plant would have been "flat up against the taxiway, grinding and mixing inside a building'' It would also have been more than two miles from the nearest private house.

And Mr. Thurlby said Bioferm was already hoping to reopen talks to build the plant somewhere else in Bermuda.

He added: "We hope our repose on the `dung heap' will be short-lived and that we can convince the local powers-that-be that our proposed recycling operation is, at once, beneficial to the Island ecology and economy and a good neighbour.'' But Carl Musson, BLDC's Chief Executive Officer, said talks had broken down, adding: "I will not give an official reason because they were confidential negotiations.

"The public did have fears but we do encourage proposed developers to make presentations to local residents,'' he said.

Bioferm did meet with residents to talk about their plans. But one worried group met with former Government Whip and St. George's South MP, Rick Spurling, who agreed to champion their cause.

Mr. Spurling said he encouraged Bioferm to move the proposed plant away from parkland and onto an industrial zone.

The firm won planning permission to relocate, as well as a Clean Air Act permit.

Officials also signed a protocol with the Department of Air Operations and a memorandum of understanding with Conservation Officer David Wingate.

But Mr. Spurling added: "More and more was found out about the process and the noise that would be created.

"There were also concerns about whether raw sewage would be used or just food produce and debris. People were worried about smells, rodents and everything else that comes with something like that.''