convention which regulates hazardous waste disposal.

The news came from Environment Minister Pamela Gordon who said she would be seeking advice on how to dispose of asbestos at the London Convention in October.

She said Bermuda would also try to rally support from other small countries and nations who might face similar difficulties in the future.

But last night Ms Gordon could not say for certain who would be going to the meeting.

Ms Gordon said Bermuda had been presented with two different ways of disposing the 165 containers of asbestos which came from removal projects on public and private buildings.

Government's original plan to dump the containers into the ocean 18 miles off St. David's -- considered the "best practicable environmental option'' -- had met harsh criticism and created a lot of negative publicity, she said.

She said Bermuda and its fragile tourism economy could ill afford this but the only other option that had presented itself was shipping the containers to another country who would bury it.

GOVERNMENT GVT ENVIRONMENT ENV