Rep. Raymond E. Gallison, D-Bristol, Portsmouth, believes that would be a health and safety hazard for people who live around Narragansett and Mount Hope Bays. So yesterday he introduced legislation in the Rhode Island General Assembly that could potentially stop plans for the Massachusetts terminals.

In a bill endorsed by a host of other state legislators from the East Bay, Gallison calls for prohibiting the transport of LNG "by way of tanker or any other means on the Sakonnet River or under the Mount Hope Bridge."

It came on the day that the mayor of Fall River held a news conference announcing he was stepping up opposition to the LNG terminal proposed in his city by Weaver's Cove Energy LLC. The mayor of Newport also spoke up yesterday against the controversial projects.

Reached at the State House in Providence last night, Gallison said that concerns for public safety outweigh any economic benefit the terminals could generate.

A typical tanker carries 38.3-million gallons of LNG. Gallison said that if there were a spill or explosion, the heavily populated areas around Mount Hope Bay would be in serious danger.

"These tankers are huge," he said. "If something were to happen, we'd be in trouble. I don't want them in our waters."

The bill is cosponsored by Representatives Fausto C. Anguilla, D- Bristol, Warren, Jan P. Malik, D-Warren, Barrington, William Enos, D- Little Compton, Portsmouth, Tiverton, Joseph N. Amaral, R- Portsmouth, Tiverton, and Henry C. Rose, D-East Providence, Pawtucket.

If the bill passes, LNG tankers wouldn't be able to access the proposed sites for the terminals in Somerset or Fall River.

Somerset LNG, a limited liability company, has put forward a plan to build a terminal on 15 acres at Brayton Point in Somerset. The terminal in Fall River would be in the North End near the Brightman Street Bridge.

In his news conference, Fall River Mayor Edward M. Lambert Jr. vowed, once again, to fight the construction of a terminal in the city.

He was joined by seven city officials and residents inside a conference room in Government Center, but he said they were just a small part of the public opposition to the proposed terminal.

Lambert has expanded a task force on LNG to include more neighbors of the proposed site. He has also contacted Newport Mayor Richard C. Sardella to ask for his support.

Sardella said last night that although the Newport City Council has yet to take a stand against the LNG terminal, he personally opposes it.

"There are a number of issues that have to be addressed before I can support it," he said. "My two main concerns are safety and security."

His comments follow a resolution passed by the City Council Feb. 11 that expresses concern about LNG tankers passing through waters near Newport.

The resolution also notes plans for an LNG terminal in Providence. Ships would have to travel through the East Passage between Newport and Jamestown to reach it.

The City Council recommends holding a public forum to discuss the possible impact on the area where the storage terminals would be built. No date has been set for the forum.

Sardella said he plans to introduce a motion in the coming weeks opposing the proposed terminals.

Meanwhile, Lambert says he will be talking to politicians up and down the banks of the Taunton River in Massachusetts and around Narragansett Bay to try to keep the terminals out of Somerset and Fall River.

Having already secured backing from U.S. Rep. Barney Frank of Massachusetts, Lambert and his task force have asked the Rhode Island congressional delegation to join in the fight against the terminals.

Jessica Resnick-Ault contributed to this report.