Reports are saying that it is just a gas smell (mercaptan?) and that natural gas has not been detected. Propane etc is heavier than air and would tend to hug the ground. Natural gas is lighter than air and would tend to disperse.

Jersey City is blaming it on a gas leak in the West Village. Winds are blowing from the south to the north.

I’m not smelling a thing here on the Lower East Side. They are recommending that you close your windows and external vents of air conditioning.

Lack of communication from city officials is disturbing.

10:35 AM – Con Ed is saying it is not from their system. I guess they can tell this from reading the pressure on their lines.

Bloomberg has still not spoken.

Bloomberg finally came on around 11 and basically had little of use to say, other than it’s a bad smell.

“We are waiting for the gas to pass,” Mayor Michael Bloomberg said.

Filed under: Manhattan by gamma