It may only be a gleam in Sir John Swan?s eye rather than a concrete planning proposal but already environmentalists are organising against the idea to move the docks to Ducking Stool Park.

Marine environmental scientist David Chapman said the idea was environmental racism explaining the term meant putting unsightly developments near the socially disenfranchised.

He is getting together with green umbrella group Environment Coalition Organisation (ECO) to put out a position paper on where the docks should go after agreeing with Sir John that Hamilton was not the right place.

?From an environmental perspective we must come up with alternative ideas otherwise people won?t have an option in their minds,? said Mr. Chapman, who added the idea had been getting more media play in recent weeks.

He said the Ducking Stool Park was part of a relatively pristine stretch of North Shore which was enjoyed by the community.

?Using it would be tantamount to environmental racism.It happens all over the world, you put land fill in poor communities rather than rich communities. It has already gone on in Bermuda,? said Mr. Chapman who noted the siting of cell phone towers.

He said an outflow from Watlington Waterworks was an ugly addition to the North Shore although the current dock location in Hamilton was not the best.

?The Corporation of Hamilton doesn?t want to lose the revenue but it will cost the country more if it is degraded.

?I am definitely in favour of John Swan?s suggestion to move the docks and revamp Hamilton. Bermuda is behind the times in having the docks in the city centre.

?In most city centres they have moved the docks outside and allowed it to be developed. I am in favour of that, it will make the environment better.

?The best option is Morgan?s Point which is already developed for large ships and is already an industrial type area.?

Dockworks at the vacant former military base in Sandys would not exclude other development there, said Mr. Chapman who teaches environmental science at Berkeley after spells at the Biostation and Belco where he was an environmental technician. ?It?s an extremely large area.?

Asked about the problem of trucking goods on roads back to Hamilton, he said a large proportion of cargo was broken up on the docks and put in small trucks.

?You never see containers in Hamilton.?