The battle to get the US Navy to fork out for a multi-million dollar baselands clean-up could be a long haul.

But Environment Minister Arthur Hodgson was steering clear of predicting success -- or when the negotiations might come to an end.

He said, however, that he expected Britain to throw its weight behind Bermuda in the fight for an estimated $60 million-plus for the clean-up costs.

Mr. Hodgson said: "It's like lobbying -- you never know at what point it kicks in.

"These things are ongoing. I think it would be sufficient to say they're ongoing talks with respect to the clean-ups.'' Mr. Hodgson was speaking after the latest round of discussions with top politicians and officials from the US Navy and Defence Department in Washington.

He said the UK White Paper rewrite of relations with its remaining colonies released earlier this year had stressed the environment as a priority.

And he promised to lobby top UK Ministers on the issue in a trip next month to the UK Labour Party annual conference in Brighton, England.

Mr. Hodgson added: "With the emphasis that the British White Paper has placed on the environment, we expect the British Government to play a much more vigorous role.

And he pointed out: "They are the ones who leased the bases initially -- that's part of why I'm going to the Labour Party conference, to lobby Ministers.'' The US Navy quit its St. David's Naval Air Station and Annex in Southhampton -- now earmarked for a massive tourist development -- in 1995.

But the US armed services left behind an environmental nightmare of pollution -- including tons of oil, potentially deadly asbestos and poisonous heavy metals.

And at the Annex, now known as Morgan's Point, up to half-a-million gallons of fuel is thought to have leaked from underground tanks into the caves underneath.

The official US position is that it will only pay for clean-ups when there is "an imminent threat to health and safety'' which it insists is not the case in Bermuda.

Surveys by the US Government backed that view -- but an environmental probe rubbishing the US findings was later delivered by the then-United Bermuda Party Government.

Development and Opportunity Minister Terry Lister, who also went on the latest trip to petition the US, was yesterday off the Island and unavailable for comment.

But after a shuttle trip to Washington earlier this year, he said he welcomed a British commitment to do what it could to persuade the US to cough up the cash.

Acting US Consul General Douglas Dobson said yesterday he expected to meet Mr.

Hodgson in the near future to discuss the latest round of talks.

Mr. Dobson added: "I'm aware that they did go to Washington, but I haven't had any formal read-out on the discussions.

"And I will be in touch with the US to see what transpired in these consultations.'' Lobbying: Environment Minister Arthur Hodgson CONFERENCE CON