namely natural gas or LPG. As both Daithi and Louis have noted, methane or
natural gas are odorless and colorless; without the addition of one of the
*-mercaptan substances, the only way we would be able to detect a gas leak
would be with a meter or by the explosion.
We run into a problem of perception and logic, however, when we encounter
the "distinctive" odor absent the gas. Whether it's a leaking truck or
chemical content of a creek, we can only think it's gas. (And think of the
danger of gas leakage through the middle of Placerville, people being
desensitized to the odor plus the masking by the creek's odor.)
A few years ago, a fire engine was dispatched to an "odor of gas" call.
About ten minutes into their search for the leak, the captain radioed
Dispatch: "Cancel the gas company; respond animal control." Dead possum or
raccoon under a house.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Kim Noyes" <kimnoyes@gmail.com>
To: <californiadisasters@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Monday, August 22, 2011 10:20 AM
Subject: Re: [californiadisasters] Re: Earthquake Didn't Cause Mystery Stink
in San Diego Area
> On an unrelated side-note, in Placerville, CA, one can walk around on a
cold
> Winter or Spring night in the downtown area and smell a natural gas or
> propane odor that has existed there for ages. It is caused by the natural
> leaching out of chemicals in the water which is flowing down the creek
> through the middle of town. Visitors are often tricked into thinking there
> is a natural gas or propane leak. I was once one of those tourists until I
> found out the real story. There is actually a plaque located in the
eastern
> half of town along the sidewalk of the main drag that explains this
> phenomenon.
>
> Kim Patrick Noyes
> Paso Robles, CA
>
> On Mon, Aug 22, 2011 at 8:51 AM, Kate Hutton <katehutton@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > **
> >
> >
> > I'm not so sure I believe this business about Massachusetts, since I
> > experienced it myself.
> >
> > I was at an extended meeting in Cambridge. Every day I walked a few
blocks
> > from my hotel to the conference & I passed a place on the street that
> > smelled strongly of gas. I asked someone on the staff at the office
where
> > the conference was to call it in, which they did, but it was sort of
taken
> > lightly. I also asked at a restaurant that was VERY nearby. They told
me
> > it is always like that, the customers continually report it & the gas
> > company says there is no problem.
> >
> > They have not blown up yet.
> >
> > But it didn't sound like an isolated spill from a truck.
> >
> > Kate
> >
> > On Sun, Aug 21, 2011 at 10:48 PM, Daithi <dboconnor1@earthlink.net>
wrote:
> >
> >> Natural Gas is methane, sometimes with a percentage of ethane occuring
> >> naturally. The odorant added is usually ethyl mercaptan, methyl
mercaptan
> >> or butyl mercaptan. Gas in high pressure mains has somewhat less
odorant
> >> added with additional mercaptans added at the regulating stations where
> >> pressure is reduced for local mains.
> >>
> >> Several years ago in Massachusetts there were a number a large number
of
> >> reported "gas leaks" in eastern Massachusetts near Boston. Fire
> >> departments were testing for natural gas all over the area and finding
no
> >> measurable levels of natural gas. As I recall the final opinion was
that a
> >> truck carrying one of the mercaptans had a leaking tank but that the
> >> truck/company was never identified.
> >>
> >> When I first read this story about San Diego my first thought was could
it
> >> be a truck carrying something bad smelling traveling through the area.
> >>
> >> Note re mercaptans: once in my city we had a lab spill of less than an
> >> ounce and the entire neighborhood smelled as if there was a high
> >> concentration of natural gas.
> >>
> >> --- In californiadisasters@yahoogroups.com, newnethboy <kef413@...>
> >> wrote:
> >> >
> >> > Does methane have a smell? Or is it like natural gas (which as a
> >> chemical
> >> > added to make it stink, as a safety feature)?
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > ----- Original Message -----
> >> > From: "Kim Noyes" <kimnoyes@...>
> >> > To: "CaliforniaDisasters" <californiadisasters@yahoogroups.com>;
> >> > "California's Earthquake Forum"
> >> > <californiasearthquakeforum@yahoogroups.com>; "Geology2"
> >> > <geology2@yahoogroups.com>
> >> > Sent: Sunday, August 21, 2011 9:16 PM
> >> > Subject: [californiadisasters] Earthquake Didn't Cause Mystery Stink
in
> >> San
> >> > Diego Area
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > > Earthquake didn't cause mystery stink in San Diego areaBy Gary
Robbins
> >> > > San Diego Union Tribune
> >> > > August 18, 2011
> >> > :
> >> > :
> >> > :
> >> > Some readers suggested that
> >> > > methane could be the cause of the mystery. "There are no
significant
> >> known
> >> > > deposits of methane in San Diego," Rockwell said.
> >>
> >
> >
> >
>
>
> --
> Check out http://groups.yahoo.com/group/californiadisasters/
> Read my blog at http://eclecticarcania.blogspot.com/
> My Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/derkimster
> Linkedin profile: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/kim-noyes/9/3a1/2b8
> Follow me on Twitter @DisasterKim
>
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