Bermuda's claim for a clean-up of the old US Base lands in Bermuda.

And Premier Pamela Gordon and Finance Minister Grant Gibbons will travel to the nerve centre of the US military, the Pentagon in Washington, to hammer home the Island's case for compensation to Secretary of Defence William Cohen.

The Royal Gazette understands Bermuda may have come up with a formula to soothe US fears that paying to clean up the old US Naval Air Station in St.

David's and the former Naval Annex in Southampton will open the floodgates to claims from former hosts of US forces across the world.

But last night both Ms Gordon and Dr. Gibbons were staying tightlipped over the game plan for the meeting -- understood to be the first time Bermuda has reached Cabinet level in the near three-year talks with the US.

Ms Gordon, however, said: "What we expect to do is advance another position which could be very beneficial to Bermuda.'' Dr. Gibbons added: "It would be premature to give any precise sense of the meeting.

"But it will be a very important meeting because it's a chance to get a more positive reaction out of the Secretary of Defence -- but it's a bit early to say whether that will happen or not.

"If we can get the support of Mr. Cohen that will make it much easier to support the strategy we have been using, going through the Congressional authorisation process.'' But Dr. Gibbons confirmed he would be taking a report knocking a US Navy survey earlier this year which concluded that America had no responsibility for cleaning up the mess -- including oil, asbestos and toxic metals -- it left behind when the US Navy pulled out in 1995.

Ms Gordon announced the meeting -- organised only in the last few days -- minutes after naming November 9 as General Election day.

The Royal Gazette exclusively revealed nearly two weeks ago that the General Election date was set to be put on hold in the hope of further progress on compensation talks.

and Dr. Gibbons paid a flying visit to the US in the wake of a $100 million payoff for Canada, which claimed compensation for pollution at two former US bases on its soil.

The Canadian bases deal was set up under a similar World War II contract to the UK-US arms-for-bases agreement which saw the US take over ten percent of Bermuda's land mass.

The meeting today is expected to include Secretary of the Navy John Dalton, members of the US Congress and senior US military figures -- as well as American officials involved in the Canadian negotiations which led to the massive cash handout.