Shadow Environment Minister Cole Simons has called on Government to "come clean" and tell the public what it knows about contamination at the former Morgan's Point naval base.

He spoke out after Environment Minister Neletha Butterfield said she did not have the J.A. Jones report from 1997 which, he said, showed 60 percent of the 134 fuel tanks at Morgan's Point were leaking significant amounts of petroleum into the soil.

Ms Butterfield said the situation at Morgan's Point was nowhere as bad as that, although she did not have the report.

And she said tests at water lenses close to the old base in Southampton showed there was no risk to public health.

Yesterday Environment Permanent Secretary Brian Rowlinson accused Mr. Simons of "scaremongering".

He suggested Mr. Simons re-read the report carefully because it was "utter nonsense" to suggest there were 134 fuel tanks at the site and that 60 percent were leaking.

Mr. Simons said he was "astounded" the Minister did not have a copy of the report, which he said suggested she was not serious about getting information about the contamination.

"The Minister must take her head out of the sand when it comes to the issue and stop misleading the people of this country," he said.

"Her standard line when we talk about contamination at Morgan's Point is that tests are being done and there is no evidence of contamination or a threat of contamination to the Southampton water lens.

"This may be so, and if it is so, may I take this opportunity to ask the Minister to share the findings of her report with the public. In the interest of transparency,this would also provide comfort to the residents and farmers who live near Morgan's Point.

"On the issue of her not having a copy of the J.A Jones Report which indicates that 60 percent of the 134 fuel tanks at Morgan's Point had significant releases of petroleum into the soil, I find this to be very astounding and very difficult to believe.

"Something must be seriously wrong with the resources found in her ministry, or she is not serious about collecting information which will ensure that she is current on Morgan's Point's jet fuel and petroleum products leakage problems.

"The fact of the matter is that the J.A. Jones report was commissioned by Cabinet in 1997 when the UBP Government was in power.

"It was sanctioned by the then Cabinet when they were examining its options on the development of Morgan's Point, and negotiating with the US Government in an effort to have the US Government take ownership of the base clean up.

"In fact, one of the primary purposes of the report was to arrive at a cost assessment for the clean up, so that a realistic clean up price tag could be presented to the US Government during the clean up negotiations.

"I am also told that once a good estimate of the cleanup price tag was determined, and the report was completed, a copy was given to Cabinet, the Ministry of Finance, who at the time was responsible for the BLDC, and the Ministry of the Environment.

"In fact, I am certain that the report was used, and held by the Ministry of the Environment given that they were involved in its production.

"The report which I have in my possession shows one of the Ministry of the Environment senior scientist in one of the sludge filled caves collecting oil and water samples.

"This employee is a now a senior member of the Ministry of the Environment. I beg the Minister to come clean, and be forthright on this matter.

"She must aggressively manage and contain the environmental threats found at Morgan's Point."

Yesterday, Mr. Rowlinson told : "I have read Simons' comments. Is he accusing the Minister of lying about having the report?

"He says he has a copy ? therefore, I suggest he read it more carefully because even without seeing the report I can guarantee it does not mention 134 fuel tanks (of which 60 percent were leaking) at Morgan's Point. That is utter nonsense.

"We continue to actively monitor the situation and collect data (another report is expected next week) and nothing alarming has ever been reported re: contamination that could affect farmers or residents. Mr. Simons is just scaremongering."