Mayor (Bloomberg): Mystery gas-like smell 'is not dangerous'

Newsday ^ | January 8, 2007 | Lauren Johnston and Amanda Y. Barrett

[presidio9]

Mayor Bloomberg said the city does not know what the puzzling odor wafting over Manhattan and N.J. is, but "it does not appear to be dangerous."'

Hundreds of calls came in about the smell beginning at about 9 a.m. from as far south as Battery Park and east to Union Square and all the way through the West 80s on the Upper West Side. The odor also could be detected in New Jersey.

The smell disrupted some PATH transit service and prompted office buildings to evacuate.

"Our sensors do not show any high concentration of natural gas that would give us cause to be concerned," Bloomberg said at a morning press conference.

"We don't know what it is. It does not appear to be dangerous ... it may just be an unpleasant smell," he said. "The one thing we are very confident of is that it's not dangerous."

Bloomberg said investigators from the Office of Emergency Management, FDNY, NYPD, Coast Guard and other departments are probing the cause of the odor.

The mayor noted that natural gas is odorless and colorless. However, a chemical called mercaptan is added to the substance to make sure it can be detected. He said just a small amount can create an odor.

One small gas leak has been detected at Bleeker Street and Sixth Avenue, Bloomberg said, adding that it is too insignificant to have caused the widespread odor that has put the city on edge.

Consolidated Edison officials said they have more than 60 workers checking for leaks after the company received more than 700 calls about the smell, from as far north as Washington Heights to as far south as Greenwich Village

[Michael Bluth]

"No mystery. Someone had sauerkraut and beer for supper last night."

I'm quite sure, then, that in the interests of making sure that no New Yorker wil ever have to breathe in the noxious odor currently wafting through Manhattan, Mayor Bloomberg will propose BANNING sauerkraut and beer in public bars and restaurants in NYC.

[Kimberly GG]

AUSTIN (Reuters) - The downtown area of the Texan capital of Austin was closed on Monday as a precaution after the discovery of several dozen dead birds, officials said.

"The area will be closed until at least noon (1 p.m. EST) today," Austin police department spokeswoman Toni Chovanetz said.

Officials said the street closures were a precaution in case the deaths were related to something like a gas leak but they did not believe there was any direct health threat.

"We ... do not feel that there is a threat to the public's health," said Dr Adolfo Valadez, medical director for the Travis county health and human services department.

He added that the department did not think avian flu was responsible for the deaths of the birds, which included grackles, sparrows and pigeons. The birds were being tested.

The area affected includes the commercial heart of the city, preventing thousands of workers from reaching their jobs, but not the state legislature which was due to open its 2007 session on Tuesday."....

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070108/sc_nm/austin_closure_dc_3

I believe they are suppose to be having a presser soon. They don't know what killed the birds, but I'm sure, just like in NY, they will assure us it's harmless.

[GVNR]

Dead Birds: Pigeons, sparrows and grackles.....as many as 60 dead ones.

[johnny7]

It's the name of what's added to natural gas... to make it discernible.

[khnyny]

[My thought is that a bunch of ragheads in separate rented apts. all left their gas on.]

Actually, I remember reading a couple years ago about a supposed plot by Jihadi's to rent various apartments in highrises and to cause simultaneous gas explosions.

Here it is:
http://www.marylandweather.com/news/weather/site/hurricane/chi-0406020268jun02,0,5843073.story

"Deputy Atty. Gen. James Comey described alleged meetings that Padilla, a U.S. citizen and former Chicago gang member, held with Al Qaeda leaders. Comey said at a news conference that the discussions covered plans to detonate a radioactive "dirty bomb" in a U.S. city or blow up high-rise apartment buildings through natural gas explosions."

[westmichman]

If Jack Bauer was here instead of in China, this wouldn't have happened!

[presidio9]

From further down in the article:

"The mayor noted that natural gas is odorless and colorless. However, a chemical called mercaptan is added to the substance to make sure it can be detected. He said just a small amount can create an odor. "

"'It is still early but there is no indication of terrorism and there is no credible intelligence to suggest any imminent threat to the homeland or to New York at this time," said Russ Knocke, spokesman for the Department of Homeland Security.'

He said the agency is closely monitoring the situation and talking with the local authorities, who are the lead in the matter."

[Last Laugh]

Since mercaptan is such an easily traced gas in extremely small amounts, maybe someone was rehearsing just to see how far a lethal gas would go and its likely path.

Good theory and very likely, IMO.

[divine_moment_of_facts]

I wonder if Bloomberg use his favorite line.. " Everything will be back to normal tomorrow morning ".

[azhenfud]

"....It does not appear to be dangerous ... it may just be an unpleasant smell," he said. "The one thing we are very confident of is that it's not dangerous.""

Wringing out the words, we find this: "We are very confident it does not appear to be dangerous."

[presidio9]

You know what just occured to me: How does anyone know that sarin gas smells like almonds?

[xarmydog]

A fly does not think Raid stinks either!

[GeorgiaDawg32]

well, I'm VERY CONFIDENT that if this isn't something to be concerned about, al-quaeda is taking serious notes on the reaction and the cluelessness* of those involved regarding the origination of this odor..

I sincerely, sincerely hope they don't leave it at "it's not dangerous" and find the source..

*this isn't a slam at those attempting to find the source, just that no one has a clue what it is and where it's coming from..

[Sloth]

Yes, I know that mercaptan is added to gas, and I know that the idiot Mayor mentioned mercaptan... but have they positively stated that this IS mercaptan?

[The Great RJ]

Imagine if this were sarin or other nerve gas agents being released by terrorists. Perhaps a dry run to gauge wind patterns and emergency response???

[westmichman]

The same way that we know that phosgene smells like new-mown hay. Low levels?

[cva66snipe]

I would be looking for buildings with boilers. If one is shut down but the gas control valve malfunctioned that could possibly do it but it should smell inside the boiler room though. But it could also be a multifunctional operating boiler with an unlit fire which would make even more sense as the forced draft blower would take the raw gas right on out the exhaust stack. Many boilers have pretty good sized gas lines feeding them.

[azhenfud]

I think that's cyanide which smells like almonds, but the compound agent amygdalin is found in the seeds of almonds, peach stones, and similar fruit and is common to cyanide, thus the similarities in scents.

[presidio9]

Yes, but who got a big enough whiff of it to have any idea what it smelled like.