hazardous waste at the Pembroke Marsh Dump.

And some of the discarded substances could have serious effects on public health and the environment if there is long term exposure.

But Government is acting to reduce the risk from hazardous waste under the guidance of US waste control expert Mr. John Odisio.

Mr. Odisio has been flown in to provide the Ministry of Works and Engineering with a management programme which will clean up the sticky and expensive problem of disposal of hazardous waste.

He is calling on companies and the public to become more aware of the problem.

"We do not really need laws like they have in the US at the moment. We need to raise awareness of this problem,'' Mr. Odisio said. "While the public are aware and tend to over-react when toxic materials are mentioned, my major problem is talking to businesses about the effects of working with things like chemicals.'' "The problems with these kinds of materials is that they can have long term chronic problems for public health and the environment, including plants and animals.

"It is like smoking, the effects of some of these things will not show up for 20 to 30 years. You can smoke today and only realise the damage it does in years to come.'' According to Mr. Odisio, companies have dumped chemicals into sanitary systems, cesspits and at the Pembroke Marsh dump.

There are many types of waste, including household bleaches, car batteries and refrigeration fluids.

But there have been few guidelines or laws to control dumping.

Mr. Odisio has a Bachelor of Science degree in environmental science from Oregon State University. He has worked at the State Environmental Regulatory Agency for nine years, involved in various clean ups and promoting reduction of toxic use in industry.

He has been in Bermuda for five months and his presence is raising public awareness already.

Mr. Odisio said: "What we are doing right now is setting up a hazardous waste depot at Sally Port. We have technicians there receiving household and commercial waste.

"We are working with an environmental firm which can import this into the States to be destroyed. There is no problem with that although we have to meet certain requirements.'' The export of waste of this kind is going to cost the Government thousands of dollars and because of limited resources they are counting on the public and industry to take their own toxic trash to Sally Port.

He said: "Companies who already transport to Pembroke Marsh should remember that they now turn to the west end of the Island.

"It will be less of a hardship for households because this type of waste, like paints and bleaches, is normally only a problem when a shed or a kitchen is cleaned out.''