One of Tenby's beaches was cordoned off on Monday morning after a potentially hazardous substance was washed up on the shore.
Emergency services were quickly on scene at Castle Beach after a 25-litre drum, which was blue in colour and had skull and crossbones markings, was discovered shortly after 9 am.
Under a scheme funded by the Welsh Assembly Government, Pembrokeshire County Council notified Environment Agency Wales on their 24-hour emergency hotline and initiated a co-ordinated response.
The fire service made the drum safe and specialist contractors, D. V. Howells, of Milford Haven, collected and transported it for disposal at a a special site in Cardiff.
Ged Davies, team leader, environment management at Environment Agency Wales, said: "Indications are that the drum had been in the water for some time, and although it may contain nothing more than sea water, nothing is being left to chance.
"Local emergency services, the agency and our specialist contractor worked together well as a team in the first co-ordinated response under this Assembly Government funded scheme in Pembrokeshire."
As we were going to press yesterday (Thursday), a spokesman said that the drum was still awaiting analysis, the results of which may not be known until next week.