A photo caption in yesterday's paper incorrectly identified Solid Waste Manager Allan Hunt as Nelson Hunt of Hunt's Sanitation and Excavating Services.

All but one of Bermuda's regular cruise ships have been rapped on their knuckles for not separating their garbage.

And they have been warned that if they persist they will not be allowed to dispose of waste during their Island stopovers in the future.

The one ship to escape the threat was Royal Caribbean Cruise Line's Song of America which has followed the law.

The news comes following a Ministry of Works and Engineering investigation into claims there were a number of full, blue recycling bags being dumped at the Tynes Bay Incinerator.

"The Ministry said it had discovered that the blue bags, which had been off loaded from cruise ships by a private contractor, were filled with hazardous contaminants of paint and solvents and smelly food wastes mixed with cans and bottles,'' reported a Government spokesperson.

The Recycling Centre rejected the mixed bags they received and sent them to the incinerator for disposal.

Government has sent all regular visiting cruise ships written warnings stating that if they do not adhere to the Island's Waste Separation Policy, it will cancel their right to dispose of their waste in Bermuda.

Garbage dumpers under fire "Cruise ships to Bermuda have received a stern warning from the Government about their improper garbage disposal methods while in Bermuda waters,'' continued the spokesman. "The offending ships have promised to clean up their acts by properly separating garbage from recyclables so they each can be dumped in the appropriate containers and be disposed of properly.'' The ships have also been told to dispose of their hazardous waste and metals in the US.

This is not the first time the Ministry has been at odds with visiting cruise ships over their methods of garbage disposal so the vessels' crew were aware of the Island's recycling policy, the spokesperson said.

And the Ministry has offered to assist crew with Waste Education information to help them identify various wastes and separate them for proper disposal.

The public is also responsible for creating an unhealthy environment at the Recycling Centre, noted the spokesperson, because some of its members use blue bags for general domestic waste.

Workers at the centre have to split these bags and separate their contents by hand.

Every month, approximately 11 tons of waste involving plastics, bulky metal objects, domestic refuse, used blue bags and contaminated recyclables are rejected at the centre.

This number soared during May due to the amount of contaminated waste attributed to cruise ships.