Making the environment cleaner is the focus of a series of upcoming meetings and seminars being organised by two Government ministries.

Garage owners are meeting this week with officials from Works and Engineering and Environment Ministries to discuss the proper disposal of fluids from motor vehicles.

Also on the card are similar meetings with those in the refrigeration industry on the proper disposal of the CFC gases which are harmful to the ozone layer of the atmosphere.

The new motor fluid disposal policies will be discussed with garage owners and cycle liveries on Thursday at 10 a.m. at the Ocean View Golf Club in Devonshire.

Director of the waste management section of Works and Engineering, Alan Hunt, said the Ministry wanted to improve the way garages process cars, motorcycles, and other equipment for dumping at the Airport refuse site.

"We wish to address the problem of vehicles being disposed properly,'' Mr.

Hunt said. "We're making sure that all of the garages involved comply with the regulations.'' The fluids include brake and crankcase oils, fuel, and hydraulic, radiator and transmission fluids.

Mr. Hunt said while it was believed most garages do follow the regulations, the Ministry wanted to inform all about the details of the regulations.

Also to be discussed, Mr. Hunt said, are potential plans for shipping metal products overseas.

"We want to develop programmes for shipping scrap metal overseas and tagging vehicles for monitoring,'' he said. "This is the first step.'' Mr. Hunt said another joint effort with the Environment Ministry concerned the proper disposal of refrigerants -- which if vented directly into the air, violates the Clean Air Act.

This problem involves a smaller number of companies like home appliance and air conditioning suppliers and repair firms.

That meeting will be held on June 8 and will include auto mechanics who must handle car air-conditioning units.

On Saturday, refrigeration specialists within the Government took part in a seminar at the Bermuda College in which they were brought up to speed on refrigerant disposal, recovery, and recycling.

American James Kamm conducted a six-hour course which will be open to other members of the trade in June.

Bermuda College air-conditioning instructor Barbara McQueen also took part in the course.

The effort is part of the Island's efforts to honour the 1987 Montreal Protocol on the elimination of chlorofluorocarbons and other harmful gasses.

Beginning next January, only certified handlers will be allowed to sell, handle, charge, recover, or dispense refrigerants.

ENVIRONMENT ENV