Posted on 01/08/2007 6:45:42 AM PST by dogbyte12
YORK -- People all over a large part of New York City are smelling a gas, and it's not clear where it's coming from.
Numerous people have called 911 concerned about the odor. Con Edison, the Fire Department and the U.S. Coast Guard are investigating.
PATH service has been suspended into the 33rd Street station. Service is still going into the World Trade Center station.
Macy's department store has been evacuated, according to reports.
There also are unconfirmed reports of a similar smell across the river in New Jersey.
People between Midtown and Battery Park are reported to be smelling it. At NBC headquarters in Rockefeller Plaza, the odor is very strong. One person who works on the sixth floor at 30 Rockefeller Center says it's so strong people are leaving the building.
At one major office building at 37th and 7th, employees have been told that Con Edison is looking into a smell, and they should remain inside until they hear otherwise.
Mayor Bloomberg is expected to be asked about it at a 9:30 briefing with the media.
We have a winner! :)
She who smelt it, dealt it.
The odorant added to gas to make it smell "like gas" is extremely smelly. Maybe a few bottles of the pure odorant have been opened all over the place. I can see some terrorist scenario-setups here.
Does every thread have to instantly degenerate into some sort of open mic night at the local dive bar? Not every story is an opportunity to crack open the lame joke book you got for Christmas, folks.
Natural gas is oderless, they add methyl mercaptan to it that stinks, and the sulfur in it gives the flame a blue tint.
If someone spilled a quart of methyl or ethyl mercaptan it'd smell up a large area.
If it's a terrorist attack, it's pretty crafty. Access to gas lines is pretty much unimpeded. A maniac, or a group of maniacs, only have to cut a number of lines throughout the city, light a match and boom.
That's really odd... seems like too big an area for a natural gas leak. Seems like even a pretty large release of natural gas would disperse quicker than that.
sw
Where's/when's that added to the nat gas? Does the additive get trucked around?
"cut a number of lines throughout the city, light a match and boom".
Anti-smoking bunch?
Will you confirm for us please that it is natural gas? Or some other gaseous smell?
It's amazing that the news report does not make that clear. As if all gasses are the same.
Spilling a bottle of methyl mercaptan would be a good way to deliberately affect commerce though. If it smelled like natural gas to me, I wouldn't risk it being nothing. A ton of businesses are shutting down right now.
I work a few blocks north of $hitty Hall. No smell here as yet (Bloomie must be outta town).
It started in NJ - no kidding.
Stay safe, FRiends.
Another Taco Bell food alert??
Denmark?
I would, too, though I'd be wondering where it's safe to go if the stench is that widespread :)
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