New York City Stinks Of Natural Gas
A mini-emergency is unfolding in New York City, where officials are trying to find out why Manhattan has been suddenly smelling like natural gas.
The first inclination was to think: it could be part of some kind of new terrorist attack. But officials have been quick to assure New Yorkers that it is not the case, based on everything known so far and the fact that no one has been seriously injured by the stench:
Mayor Michael Bloomberg says that city agencies are all working together to pinpoint the nature of a gas leak that has been wafting across Manhattan since 9 a.m. Monday.The strange odor was being reported to the Office Of Emergency Management from Lower Manhattan to Midtown.
“There is no danger from the gas at this point,” Bloomberg said. “The city has not found any high concentrations of the gas.”
He added, “The [city's gas] sensors do not show any high concentration of gas that we should be concerned,”
Bloomberg also said there was no indication the air was unsafe to breathe. “It may just be an unpleasant smell.”
“We are waiting for the gas to pass,” the mayor said.
When Bloomberg leaves the mayor’s post he can always work as advertising director for Taco Bell.
But the smell is a serious matter: until it’s determined what is causing it, officials have to be somewhat nervous. Right now it is an unknown, in an era of natural disasters and increasingly canny terrorist weapons. The unspoken fear behind many of the reports is: what if this is some kind of biological or chemical weapon? The answer: there is not one sign of that so far. AND THIS:
Bloomberg added that the substance people were smelling is known as mercaptan, a strong-smelling chemical added to odorless gases in order to let people know when those gases are leaking. He said the smell may have resulted from a leak of that substance.Law enforcement sources told WNBC.com that this does not appear to be an act of terror.
“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.
FOR MORE DETAILS SEE:
–Pajamas Media
–On Deadline (USA Today blog)
–Above The Law (from NYC)
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3 Responses to “New York City Stinks Of Natural Gas”
Gee, one would think that New York had been accustomed to the smell if New Jersey by now.
Years ago one of the utility companies sent out mercaptan scratch n sniff postcards to gas customers so they’d be able to identify the smell of gas leaks. The plan backfired hilariously as the city got thousands of calls about gas leaks, mostly emanating from their mailbox. I doubt this is another such episode, but someone let the mercaptan out. New Jersey? Cmon. Fess up.
I conclude that any release of mercaptan by any party other than a terrorist related entity would have been accounted for, through follow-up investigation or admission, by now.
I also conclude that any blackmail or threat of a terrorist attack on New York City to the administration would be ignored or obfuscated.
I also conclude that this release of mercaptan may itself be a display of will, ability and knowledge, while indicating the amount of readily-available media coverage of such an event and implicate the geographical overspread it would achieve.
I am very concerned that this release of mercaptan may be a followed-through threat of a more leathal release of mercaptan added to a lethal gas, such as serin gas. Just as mercaptan is added to Natural Gas, this has shown all those who smelled this mercaptan release, that had the mercaptan been added to serin gas rather than natural gas, they would have been affected. Their own noses showed them the ability.
The media rose to the occasion as would have been expected by terrorists for their peak impact and effect of terror.
Were our current administration to have been warned, blackmailed or threatened with such a display of ability in response to Bush’s scheduled announcement tomorrow of a “plus-up” of troops in Iraq coupled with the recent and ill-perceived hanging of Saddam Hussein, we could also conclude that Bush would not surrender to such a display of ability. He would indeed move forward. This is Bush.
Hence, I am very concerned about tomorrow, the nights and days immediately thereafter, and all cities, great and small, nationwide, including Washington D.C.
Something STINKS!!!!
ChasInPort
Portland, Maine