Friends, family, editors, public servants, et al, (bcc)
The gas odor, on Monday, that affected most of New York City (NYC) and parts
of New Jersey was either intentional or accidental -- someone out there
knows what really happened. This should be an important wake up call to all
who live and work in one of the largest, densely populated, metropolitan
regions in the world. Much can be learned from this incident -- even if we
don't know the source of the gas or the type. It could happen again -- and
the next time we might not be so lucky. Yes, the familiar odor was reported
to be that of mercaptan that is usually added to natural gas (for cooking
heating etc.) but it could have been added to a cylinder of any other type
of gas e.g., flammable, poisonous, inert or harmless.
Human detection level of mercaptan is 0.00054 ppm.
My technical gut tells me it's possible that discharging one large gas
cylinder (or many smaller cylinders) into the sanitary sewer system of NYC
could have very easily distributed the gas as widely and as quickly as was
reported. The external sewer vents in all buildings would have enabled the
gas to be distributed throughout the city and even directly into buildings
where sanitary drain traps were void of a water seal.
Workers who were interviewed were given different advice on what to do as
far as evacuation of their workplace. Some were told to stay put and not
evacuate (remember 9/11). But as long as the building HVAC system was
operating normally the gas would be drawn into fresh air intakes
and distributed quickly throughout the building.
Will anything be learned from this unplanned test of the system -- I doubt
it. From my perspective, most of what I heard coming from TV interviews and
reports was conventional, Pollyanna thinking. The more people we try to cram
into a metropolitan area the more we are exposed to all types of dangerous
complications.
Sooner or later we are fortunate to get wakeup calls and warnings -- but
will they be heeded?
If NYC and Northern New Jersey had to call for an emergency evacuation on
Monday 1/8/07 where would 8 to 9 million residents go?
North?
South?
East?
West?
Even if there wasn't a call for an evacuation and the people decided to
evacuate based on having difficulty breathing or irritation of mucous
membranes.
Will there be a domino effect of evacuees to the Catskills and beyond?
Will the major highways be jammed in gridlock?
How will NYC residents get out in a timely manner?
What about the kids in the schools?
What about the people in the hospitals and nursing homes?
What about the people in jails/prisons?
What if it's 15 degrees with a foot of snow on the ground?
If you live 50 to 100 miles from NYC will you evacuate your home or are you
prepared stay put in order to protect your homestead and valuables?
Are you prepared to evacuate if you live within a 60 mile radius of NYC
(e.g., equip., water, foods, firearms/ammo, radios, walkie talkies, tents
etc)?
(There's an old Nuke plant within 40 miles of NYC)
Does your family have a plan?
Where will you and your family meet in the event of a mass evacuation?
I'll withhold the rest of what's going through my mind for now.
Take care of yourself and your family.
, , ,Frank Carbone Jr., Town of Newburgh, NY
Feel free to print or forward.
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What is mercaptan?
Natural gas in its
native state is colorless and odorless. Mercaptan is the harmless, non-toxic
chemical that is added to natural gas to make it easier to detect in case of a
leak. The most important thing to know about mercaptan is that it stinks. Some
people compare it to the smell of rotten eggs.
In a concentrated form,
the smell is almost unbearable. And it takes only a few parts per million of
mercaptan to give natural gas a smell. That is precisely why we add it to
natural gas. If we did not add mercaptan, it would be hard for you to know
that unlit natural gas was coming from your stove after you left the valve
turned on. And leaks from furnaces and hot water heaters would be nearly
impossible to detect without expensive equipment. So mercaptan's smell is a
very valuable safety feature.
Mercaptans contain
sulfur. That's what makes them smell. The kind we use blends well with natural
gas and, in a gaseous state, has much the same properties as natural gas, so
it will also rise and dissipate with natural gas.
There are other uses for
mercaptans in industry, including jet fuel, pharmaceuticals and livestock feed
additives. They are used in many chemical plants. Mercaptans are less
corrosive and less toxic than similar sulfur compounds found naturally in
rotten eggs, onions, garlic, skunks, and, of course, bad breath. In other
words, forms of mercaptan can be found in things that smell.