ST. ANDREWS, New Brunswick — Growing opposition to proposals for liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects in Maine could fuel a fight between Canada and the United States over access to the pristine waters off southern New Brunswick.

Two companies are looking to build LNG facilities on the Maine shores of Passamaquoddy Bay, across from the New Brunswick resort town of St. Andrews.

Opponents in both countries say major LNG operations, with their supertanker traffic, pipelines and storage tanks, would threaten the rich marine life of Passamaquoddy Bay, as well as the region's tourism and fishing industries.

In picturesque St. Andrews, an upscale tourist destination for many Canadians, the mood was bleak on Monday as people prepared to protect the picturesque bay.

"The town would initially just be changed, but eventually it would be expunged, eliminated in the form in which it has existed for the last 150 years," said St. Andrews resident Larry Lack, ruminating on what would happen if the LNG operations are built.

"The tourist economy, the fishing economy, the environment -- all of that would go."

Opponents from both Maine and New Brunswick were to meet in St. Andrews on Monday night to go over the proposals. They are preparing for a major fight; one they expect will ultimately involve the Canadian government, as well as Washington D.C., Maine and New Brunswick.

They already believe they have an ace in the hole to block any LNG project because Canada must give the go-ahead for tankers, loaded with frozen liquefied gas, to cross Canadian waters in Passamaquoddy Bay.

"The question is, will Paul Martin stand up to George Bush and say no?" said Janice Harvey of the New Brunswick Conservation Council, referring to the Canadian prime minister.

Greg Thompson, the Conservative MP for southwest New Brunswick, has called on the Canadian government to refuse the supertankers access to the tricky Canadian waters leading into the bay. Although Ottawa says it can't make a decision until it gets a U.S. request, Thompson said it would save a lot of time and trouble if the Canadian passageway was simply closed to big tankers.

"The Americans will say they have the right to innocent passage, but it's complicated by the fact that this is extremely dangerous cargo and there is extreme risk to our citizens and to the environment," Thompson said.

Ottawa killed a proposed oil refinery in Maine 30 years ago over concerns the same waters were too dangerous for oil tankers.

The two LNG proposals in Maine are still in the early stages and would have to survive numerous regulatory hurdles to become reality. Both proposals involve the construction of piers reaching into the bay and pipelines to transfer the chilled gas to storage tanks.

Proponents of the facilities insist there is no threat to the environment.

"We're proposing a very simple LNG import terminal," said Robert Wyatt of the Downeast firm, based in Washington. "We have an option on an 80-acre (32.4-hectare) piece of land but we would probably use only about 35 acres (14 hectares). We would keep a lot of trees in the front."

LNG developers are anxious to cash in on the current fuel crunch and they have their sights set on a port in Maine where the fuel can come in and be routed to the energy-hungry northeastern United States.

Source: Associated Press