I read with interest a recent article in the Mid Ocean about an archaeologist from South Africa who was visiting the Bermuda Martime Museum.

I am always encouraged to see Bermudians and Bermudian institutions networking on the international level.

I was, however, somewhat concerned about a statement he made towards the end of the article. He says that he visited a historical wreck site, which he found to have been damaged.

This statement, by itself, could be misleading. The fact is when any one, including a marine archaeologist, excavates a historic wreck site they will cause damage to that site.

Some times the site is completely destroyed. A good example is a wreck site known as the "Western Ledge Reef Wreck''.

In 1991 a foreign team of professional archaeologists and university students, representing at least three different countries, recovered the hull of that wreck in its entirety.

The recovery included all associated material culture (artifacts), botanical, and faunal remains and the entire hull structure.

Nothing was left behind.

The "Western Ledge Reef Wreck'' site was, for all intents and purposes, completely destroyed.

My point is that when any one works on a historic wreck site they cause damage to that wreck site.

The thing is to record the work in such a way that a virtual wreck site is recreated on paper as the actual wreck site is excavated.

This means that the wreck site will be frozen in time as it was on the day that the excavation work began.

The Ocean Research Foundation, which was formed to promote and facilitate field work in the marine sciences here in Bermuda, has established an additional programme which is training Bermudian divers, with an interest in marine archaeology, how to work to internationally accepted scientific standards.

The programme provides three levels of certification. The final level being Marine Archaeological Technician. It has been well received and thirty-four local divers have already completed the Basic level.

The Ocean Research Foundation has, as a result, forged a good working relationship with local divers, and a Marine Archaeology committee was formed in December of last year.

The majority of divers who currently hold or have recently held licenses to work on historic wreck sites in Bermuda have now joined the committee. With the help of consulting marine archaeologist Dr. Mark Newell, of the Georgia Archeological Institute, committee members have already produced three research papers to scientific standards with more on the way.

The Ocean Research Foundation feels that this kind of inclusive programme will ensure that the enormous physical resources, practical experience, and knowledge that local divers can bring to bear are not wasted as Bermuda comes to grips with the issues of how best to manage and develop its maritime cultural resources.

The bottom line is what Bermudian divers can and should be fully involved in the management and development of those maritime cultural resources.

NICK HUTCHINGS Managing Trustee, Ocean Research Foundation His BMW still works fine September 3, 1999 Dear Sir, I was shocked to learn that GP1 is headed for the graveyard! My wife and I own a BMW 316, purchased in June, 1985 by the original owner, from whom we bought it in October, 1986.

It has done in excess of 82,000 miles and has had a few knocks from other cars and, in one case, from a truck! The most recent incident necessitated the replacement of a rear door. Apart from the repainting of the damaged areas, the paintwork is the original factory job. There is no rust that we, or the garage, can detect.

Rather than dump GP1, I am confident that there would be a ready purchaser in Bermuda or elsewhere, since on several occasions we have been approached by people who would like to purchase our car. As we are seniors, adversely affected by the new ARV Land Tax, we have no intention of replacing our 14-year-old car.

In view of the fact that there are many older, higher mileage BMWs still in daily use around the world, it might be a good idea to contact BMW's Head Office to see why Bermuda's GP1 has turned out to be a `lemon'! FRANK DESILVA City of Hamilton Tell the truth on towers August 13, 1999 Dear Sir, If Cellular One's cellular towers are so safe then why will they not tell us how much radiation we are being exposed to? WORRIED RESIDENT OF BERMUDA Warwick Study a complete failure September 14, 1999 Dear Sir, The study of cellular towers in Bermuda reported in your newspaper today was a complete failure with regard to the issues raised by CARE. Extremely hazardous towers have been identified, which is important for people working near them, but the effect of prolonged exposure in residential areas was completely ignored. This is because the effect is ignored by the FCC standards, which protects workers only.

It was well known that the Faraway tower would meet FCC standards especially before the system becomes fully on-line and before the tower becomes like a Christmas tree decorated with various EMF emitting devices. (Where is North Rock going to transmit their wireless Internet signals from?). Even with the higher traffic and/or additional devices, the FCC standards will probably still be met.

The FCC standards are arbitrary levels developed by electrical engineers and are based on body heating i.e. thermal effects. CARE has repeated, AD NAUSEUM, the concerns of world-renowned epidemiologists such as Dr. Goldsmith of Israel, Dr. Cherry of New Zealand and Dr. Carpenter of New York, that radio frequency EMF at levels even 100,000 times lower than the FCC standards have proven biological effects and are linked statistically to cancer occurrences.

The suggestion that if in future the FCC standards are lowered, then Bermuda will follow suit is criminally ludicrous.

The growing realisation that smoking caused cancer did not help those in whose body the disease had been triggered decades before. To accept the real possibility that the standards will be lowered, as has been amply demonstrated by CARE, and yet to take no action is inexplicable.

I hope that Canadian Pacific will demonstrate a better grasp of the issue by successfully ousting CellularOne from their Faraway property.

Their, presumably well-deserved, reputation as an environmentally conscious and people-friendly corporate citizen is riding on it.

THE GUINEA PIG FAMILY Warwick Forgets long-term effects September 14, 1999 Dear Sir, The recent cellular tower report conducted by Mr. Choquette does not address long-term effects of EMF exposure. The report stated that people working around the "tower should not be exposed to radiation of the cellular antenna for more than six minutes''.

How about the people who are further away from the tower, who are exposed for many hours in a day, over many years. This is a very serious issue and has to be addressed. There have not been enough studies on long-term exposure to non-ionising radiation on humans? It would be extremely unwise to put long-term exposure of emissions to rest, especially since some studies suggest biological changes in humans and animals. The news is slowly coming out. If it is true that short-term exposure is dangerous in terms of minutes, then people exposed for long periods of time, further away from towers, are also likely to be at risk.

MONICA ROWE Warwick Fairplay goes both ways September 9, 1999 Dear Sir, I would like to answer fairplay, who would like to know where the Revenue has gone or what Cable & Wireless does with the money.

Bermuda Telephone Co. took a share, Bda. Government, Hospital Insurance, Medical Insurance, Belco, Machines, Computers, all these have to be repaired.

Wages, tax, rents, sending young men and women to school to become employees of Cable & Wireless. We forget Cable & Wireless is now Bermudian from manager to drivers.

They well deserve their place in the work place. They have laws to abide with.

Fairplay goes both ways not just yours, and with the new technology they are able to lower their rates.

I am not employed by Cable & Wireless. I left school at 13, but I do have common sense, hope this answered your question.

MARGARET Devonshire