Terry Blanton wrote:
http://wcbstv.com/topstories/local_story_016190952.html
Experts Can't Find Source Of Mysterious NYC Odor
(CBS/AP) JERSEY CITY Environmental officials in two states said they
have given up hope of finding the source of a mysterious odor that
swept across parts of New York City a week ago.
New Jersey officials said they checked out more than 140 industrial
facilities in the northern part of the state to see if they were
responsible for the foul stench that drifted up the Hudson River on
Jan. 8.
The inquiry didn't turn up any unusual emissions, said Elaine
Makatura, a spokeswoman for the state's Department of Environmental
Protection.
<more>
Many have speculated that the odor is the result of methane being
released into the atmosphere due to permafrost melting. If so, we're
history.
But methane is odorless, and there isn't any permafrost around Jersey City.
According to the linked news story, some said it smelled like methyl
mercaptan. That makes sense -- there's a lot of it around, just a few
feet under the ground, in all big cities. Sounds to me like a major gas
leak that the utility decided not to talk about; they lucked out that
nothing blew up before they got it fixed and don't want anyone to know
what a close call it was...
Terry
