Dumping rubbish into Castle Harbour is `spinning out of control', Government's own conservation officer has told The Royal Gazette .

And, given the sheer volume of raw waste being tipped into the water, it is a problem that will literally result in poisoning the harbour, said David Wingate, who is warning of a massive pollution headache for future generations of Bermudians.

"I think it is a problem which is on the verge of spinning out of control, it really needs to be addressed, otherwise we risk killing Castle Harbour,'' he said.

Mr. Wingate, who warned of the looming disaster in 1995, said the matter was coming to a point where Bermuda would have to face up to a severe problem with its waste.

But Acting Permanent Secretary to the Environment Ministry, John Barnes said there was regular monitoring of the area, -- both air and water quality -- and a recent study had given the site a clean bill of health.

"There were no ill effects in the water and should something show up, we would be primed to take action,'' he said. "In the short to mid-term we have no indication of a problem.'' Mr. Wingate says the difficulty in policing what is dumped, and subsequently pushed into the water, means that prohibited waste sometimes gets through.

In addition he fears the system of booms around the airport landfill site, designed to stop rubbish from floating away, is inadequate to prevent some rubbish escaping. He believes a quantity of garbage has already washed up at the nearby Nonsuch Island nature reserve.

Rubbish that can't be burned at the Tyne's Bay incinerator -- including metal items such as cars and solids such as builders' waste -- ends up at the Castle Harbour dumpsite, while some recylclables are sent overseas.

Ash concrete blocks, composed of waste from the incinerator, are used as breakwaters to reduce hydraulic action on the landfill, and also stop movement of the rubbish. But Mr. Wingate fears Bermuda is storing up an ecological timebomb for itself.

And he is unsure what the long-term plan for the area is, but argues that land reclaimation via the dump could become a headache.

"If there is an agenda to eventually create more land using rubbish, if that is the plan to be putting in garbage and pollutants, then there is going to be a catastrophe.'' To begin to address the problem would take a radical re-think of Bermuda's -- and the western world's -- policy of throwing away what is of no use.

Recycling is minimal and for a mass programme of re-use, there would need to be a market price for the items, said Mr. Wingate.

Hunt's Sanitation and Excavating Services have been contracted by Government to operate the east-end waste site.

And proprieter Nelson Hunt argues he and his staff go above and beyond their duty in their efforts to be environmentally friendly.

As a custodian of the site, he and his staff did far more than the contract stipulated, he said.

Trying to police the dump and outlaw those who were trying to deposit illegal items is a very difficult job, he said. Especially when some simply left truckloads of garbage at the gates outside opening hours.

They had extended opening hours to try and combat the problem, and were also spending extra time separating rubbish to send away goods that shouldn't be dumped.

There have been no major breakaways from the boom, said Mr. Hunt, but admits that with up to 60 feet of water and with strong winds there was always a chance some rubbish could escape. If anything did find its way to the nature reserve, he and Mr. Wingate should work together to clean-up the rubbish, he said.

Mr. Hunt also argues the reclaimed land is of vital importance to Bermuda -- since new land was at a premium.

Mr. Barnes said he is unsure of long-term policy for Castle Harbour, but said it is obvious dumping can't go on forever.

Garbage is a real problem on a small island, and is made worse by obligations to dispose of rubbish generated by visiting cruise ships. For many years, said Mr. Hunt, Bemuda also had to deal with the garbage of 9,000 US personnel at Baselands as well.

As for the future, Works and Engineering Minister C.V. (Jim) Woolridge said the target was to reclaim around ten acres of `land' that would then be utlilised by the airport, probably for parking.

When the landfill is complete, Government will then need to have alternative plans in hand for disposing of public waste. That could involve shipping certain items abroad for disposal, similar to what happens to waste oil at present, he said.

WASHED-UP WASTE -- Government Conservation officer, David Wingate, continually collects solid waste that has washed up on the shores of Nonsuch Island.