The latest report on pollution damage at the former US military bases said the problem was not as bad as previously thought, Deputy Governor Tim Gurney revealed yesterday.

He confirmed the issue was raised during last week's visit of UK Foreign Minister Baroness Scotland to Washington where she met US Defense Department officials.

He said: "We raised the ERM (Environmental Resources Management) report and initial findings were handed over but we don't have the US reaction, we are waiting for that reaction.'' But he said the ERM report commissioned by the British Government contradicted earlier findings that there were unacceptably high levels of contamination.

He said: "The extent of environmental damage is not as great as we initially thought but there are areas of environmental concern that the US can be reasonably expected to clean up.'' He said these were: the mess left at Bassett's Cave, which included heavy metals, sewage and oil products, asbestos left at various sites and leaked jet fuel at Morgan's Point.

He said the ERM report was generally less alarmist than those commissioned by Cantox and RT.

He said: "The language is different. It's a different slant.'' The ERM report was seen by Government, but Mr. Gurney said it was up to the Foreign Office to decide whether or not to release it more widely.

He added: "Her Majesty's Government is fully behind Bermuda's request for assistance in the clean-up of the bases and Her Majesty's Government will be pursuing the case with vigour with the US but it is too early to say how things are going to develop.'' Environment Minister Arthur Hodgson said the UK Government had commissioned the ERM report and would be more in the know about its findings.

But he added that the clean-up issues were clear cut.

He said: "It's very simple. We're facing asbestos, we're facing oil and the bridge needs to be repaired. It's nothing we need to guess about.'' He said he had yet to be briefed over Baroness Scotland's Washington visit.

BASES MILITARY MIL