A study by environmental expert witness Alisa Rich showing elevated levels of air pollutants and toxins such as benzene led residents in Denton County, TX, to complain to the state that they were breathing polluted air and suffering negative health effects from natural gas compressor stations. When controversies have arisen over natural gas drilling and its impact on air and water quality in North Texas, Alisa Rich has often been a key player.
Critics of gas drilling have cited her findings in calling for tougher environmental regulation of the industry. “I would like to see the industry invest less money in their marketing propaganda and direct that funding towards technical equipment that can reduce emissions, rather than try to convince individuals that emissions do not occur and that industrial mining is ‘safe,'” Rich said, referring to natural gas extraction. “Industrial mining is neither safe to the occupational workers nor to individuals subjected to carcinogenic emissions and surface contamination of radioactive materials from mining natural gas.”
Read more: star-telegram.com