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PROVIDENCE - KeySpan Energy Corp.'s proposal to build a major natural-gas shipping terminal at Fields Point, in a populous area near the Cranston line, drew about 60 people to a federal hearing on the proposal at Rhode Island College Thursday night.

Of the about eight people who addressed representatives of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, several said they were seriously concerned about safety, especially because of global terrorism.

Currently, trucks bring liquefied natural gas to the 600,000- barrel tank at Fields Point. Under the $50- to $60-million proposal that KeySpan and BG LNG recently submitted to the federal agency, the gas would be brought in weekly by tanker. The nation currently has four LNG import terminals.

"My concerns are basically safety and security," said Mike McSoley, who said he lives within 1,500 feet of the tank. McSoley said he fears that a terrorist could easily hit an LNG tanker using a portable rocket launcher. "I think this is one of the major concerns that needs to be addressed."

"That risk [of terrorist attack] is very high," said William Touret, who lives on College Hill, "and it's too high for anything as close to the population as this."

Cranston lawyer Steven Fischbach said the existing facility should be shut down.

"It's time we fought the war on terrorism defensively," Fischbach said, "instead of going into other countries and taking care of problems there."

State Rep. Bruce J. Long, R-Middletown, acknowledged the increasing demand for natural gas. But he called the KeySpan project "one that has more risk than I think is worth that risk."

Fischbach, who lives in Cranston's Edgewood neighborhood, about two miles from the Fields Point site, said he was troubled by the modest turnout. Rather than holding the hearing at RIC, in the Mount Pleasant section of Providence, Fischbach said, it should have been held nearer to Fields Point and its adjoining neighborhood of many Hispanic and African-American residents.

Many residents do not have cars and do not speak English, said Ben Gerhardstein, a Providence resident. "I seriously doubt that their views will be heard," he said.

Demand for natural gas is soaring in the Northeast and high prices last winter revealed a serious problem in the region's supply infrastructure, according to David J. Manning, a senior vice president at KeySpan who spoke at the hearing.

"The only way we can get the natural gas here in volume is through LNG," he said.

Manning emphasized the track record of LNG shipping, citing 35,000 deliveries by ship since 1959 without major spills and no fires.

The commission has not scheduled any more hearings on the proposal. It will accept written comments through June 11.

The address is 888 First St. NE, Room 1A, Washington, D.C. 20426, to the attention of Magalie R. Salas.