disregard for the environment by allowing a 30-foot-wide mound of rubble to be laid across a section of Devonshire Marsh.

The rare wetland is zoned "nature reserve'' -- the Planning Department's most restrictive land-zoning category.

And it is home to a number of rare birds and indigenous vegetation, including cedar trees, marsh mints and sedges.

The project was initiated two days ago by Watlington Waterworks, which needs firm ground to lay waterpipes for its new reverse osmosis plant.

Belco, which is building a substation nearby, is using the same trench to lay cables to provide power to the reverse osmosis plant and the Tynes Bay incinerator.

Belco did not need Planning permission for the project because the Belco Act gives it supreme power when it comes to laying power cables.

Watlington Waterworks in fact owns the section of marsh the cable is being laid across, just off Parsons Road, while the Trust owns an adjoining section.

The Trust and Government Conservation Officer Dr. David Wingate had known Belco needed to lay the cable and had given their input.

However, it was their understanding plans for the project had not been finalised.

Trust president Mrs. Patsy Phillips was shocked when she drove by yesterday and saw nearly 100 feet of rubble had already been laid across the marsh.

After being alerted, Dr. Wingate drove immediately to the site.

He was furious that the company had chosen to cut across "the most environmentally sensitive section of the wetland''.

He charged "another ugly blight in the landscape'' had been created. And it was destroying natural vegetation and the habitats of rare birds such as snipes, wild ducks and herons.

And dust and small stones were being showered onto Parsons Road in the process, causing a hazard to motorists driving along the narrow road.

Dr. Wingate had already seen one motorcyclist skid in the sand and debris. The company could have laid the rubble closer to the roadside, which would have caused minimal damage to vegetation and animal habitats, he claimed.

Or they could have torn up Parsons Road, which would have caused no damage.

But Dr. Wingate said he understood the Works and Engineering Ministry had said the company could not tear up the road because it had just been repaved.

"What's more important, the road or our environment?,'' he demanded. He noted Works and Engineering had known Belco needed to lay the power lines well before it began repaving the road.

Dr. Wingate added that he thought the mound of rubble was far wider than necessary for a narrow cable.

"They have acted dictatorially,'' he said. "I feel it is a gross and flagrant abuse of power and complete disregard for the environment.

"The section is in the strictest of zonings and Bermuda's wetlands are rare and desperately in need of preserving.'' If the project was not stopped, approximately one third of the section of wetland would end up being destroyed, he said.

"What's the point of having a "nature reserve'' zoning if we cannot stop (the project)?,'' he asked.

Trust director Ms Amanda Outerbridge said there was no legal process through which the project could be stopped.

"We are terribly upset,'' she said. "It seems to be needless destruction of an extremely valuable piece of wetland and there's nothing we can do about it.'' Belco president Mr. Alfred Oughton was last night unaware of the exact route Watlington Waterworks had taken to lay the cable. "It was nothing to do with Belco,'' he said.

Watlington Waterworks head Mr. Douglas Fetigan defended the project saying it may be an eyesore now, but it would soon grass over.

He said the company would have dug up the road to lay the cable but Works and Engineering had not allowed them to because it had just been resurfaced.

If they had taken Dr. Wingate's suggestion and trenched at the edge of the road, trees would be uprooted. "By taking the route we did, nothing will be destroyed except some, brush and a few Mexican peppers,'' he said.

He added the width of the mound would eventually be decreased by about six feet.

Works and Engineering Minister, and former Environment Minister, the Hon. Ann Cartwright DeCouto, was not aware of the project, and she was surprised that neither the Trust nor Dr. Wingate had contacted her about it.

A "BLIGHT'' IN THE LANDSCAPE -- Angry Conservation Officer Dr. David Wingate looks at the mound of rubble Belco this week started dumping across Devonshire Marsh in order to lay a power cable.

Dr. Wingate angered over dumping.