dumping.

Environment Minister Pamela Gordon will discuss the controversy with a leading Greenpeace representative in London today.

And she will go armed with a British Government document -- thought to be the key to solving the dispute.

The document, she said, made it clear Britain was against large countries dumping asbestos at sea. But it accepted sea dumping may be the only practical option for smaller countries, like Bermuda.

Ms Gordon said the UK position should soothe Greenpeace concerns that allowing Bermuda to dump at sea would set a world-wide precedent.

Speaking to The Royal Gazette from London last night, she voiced high hopes of a deal.

"I'm cautiously optimistic.

"There has been positive dialogue and with my meeting today there is potential for a compromise position beneficial to Bermuda and Greenpeace.'' Ms Gordon has been involved in the International Maritime Organisation's meeting in London to discuss a new protocol for the Convention on the Prevention of Pollution of the Sea.

Also present are Deputy Governor Peter Willis and Permanent Secretary of the Environment James Burnett-Herkes.

Britain will sign the new protocol -- which sets out ways of protecting the world's environment -- and Bermuda will be contracted to it.

Bermuda has become embroiled in controversy over the future of tons of asbestos collected from private and public buildings.

Government, waved on by the Health and Environment ministries and the Bermuda Biological Station, planned to dump the 165 containers 18 miles off Bermuda.

But Government was forced to rethink following a storm of protests from the Opposition Progressive Labour Party and international environmental watchdog, Greenpeace.

One option was for Government to ship the asbestos to another jurisdiction which would agree to bury it. But this could prove extremely expensive.

Last night Ms Gordon said: "Tomorrow we will know whether we can get a commitment out of Greenpeace to back off from criticism of Bermuda.

"Greenpeace have said they will not come to the table until we have a clear position from the UK that they are anti-dumping of asbestos from the mainland.

"The UK this afternoon produced a document, which basically says they are anti-dumping but will take into account special cases, like Bermuda.

"Britain does not support big countries disposing of asbestos at sea, but it recognises the problems of countries like Bermuda that don't have the land mass of other places.'' Ms Gordon added: "If we are able to satisfy Greenpeace's concerns there may be a compromise.

"Greenpeace had wanted to make sure Britain was not using Bermuda to set a precedent for ocean dumping.

"The group do not have a problem with Bermuda disposing at sea per se. What they are worried about is the knock-on effect on other countries.'' Ms Gordon said she used the IMO conference to rally support for Bermuda's position.

And she had also highlighted the problems of other small countries facing similar difficulties.

Ms Gordon said she had gained a commitment that the new protocol would refer to the plight of small countries.

"There are moves to specifically help small islands and put the new protocol in less ambiguous language.'' In her presentation to the conference, Ms Gordon pointed out Bermuda only had a land area of 54 square kilometres.

"The Island is composed of limestone and has a shallow fresh water lens that provides ground water vital to the life of the Island. This means that the range of options for the disposal of wastes are far more limited than those of countries with large masses. There is no landfill or possibility of a landfill on Bermuda.

"Another side of the Bermuda problem has resulted from the objections made by some to our proposals to dispose of these wastes at sea. It is important for us to have the sea disposal route for this material clearly recognised as within the terms of the London Convention and the new protocol.''