CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A natural gas odor was reported all across Charlotte Thursday morning, with residents in NoDa, Uptown and South End all complaining about a rotten eggs smell. Some people who work in Uptown Charlotte were sent home Thursday due to the smell, as some got headaches from it.
Shortly after 11 a.m., Piedmont Natural Gas confirmed the smell wasn't a gas leak, but a leak of the smell additive mercaptan. Our Verify team looked into questions from WCNC Charlotte viewers about the smell.
THE QUESTION
Was the natural gas odor reported in Charlotte safe to breathe?
THE SOURCES
THE ANSWER
Yes, it is OK to be outside and breathe the air, as the mercaptan is at very low levels.
WHAT WE FOUND
In a tweet, Piedmont Natural Gas said the smell was from a chemical called mercaptan released into the air after a local company destroyed tanks containing the chemical.
According to the University of Calgary, mercaptan is a foul-smelling gas that's added to natural gas. This is because natural gas is odorless. The smell of the additive mercaptan makes it easier to detect.
While some people complained of headaches, Dr. Robinson said at low levels, mercaptan is not harmful. It has to be high levels -- much higher than we would ever be exposed to -- in order to be in a dangerous zone
In a statement, Piedmont Gas wrote in part, "Mercaptan does not pose a danger or require evacuation. Piedmont injects mercaptan into natural gas to give it a distinctive smell of rotten eggs, making it easy to detect. Natural gas by itself has no smell."
Robinson said if you have respiratory issues or are easily triggered by smells, to stay inside.
"Certainly use caution, listen to your body if you are having headaches or just aren't feeling right I would certainly encourage you to limit your outdoor time until the air quality improves," Robinson said.
THE QUESTION
Around 10:30 a.m. Thursday, many people in Charlotte received an emergency notification on their phones about the smell. These alerts are usually used for an Amber Alert or severe weather.
So our Verify team looked into it: What qualifies for a phone alert?
THE SOURCES
WHAT WE FOUND
According to the city's CharMeck Alerts system, emergency notifications are issued through phones when there are imminent threats to life, health, and safety for residents in Mecklenburg County.
This can include severe weather, hazardous material emergencies, evacuation orders, missing persons and law enforcement activity.
According to the City of Charlotte, these alerts are geographically targeted.
There are options to turn these notifications off. For iPhones, it is in setting notifications, under government notification options. For Androids it's under safety and emergency.
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