E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSSPublic officials in southern California are searching for the source of a stench that has permeated the region. One theory is that the odor from a massive fish die-off in the Salton Sea, a lake about 75 miles west of San Diego, was blown to the Pacific coastline due to stormy weather. TODAY's Natalie Morales reports.
A strong smell of rotten eggs wafted through far-flung parts of Southern California Monday morning, disturbing children at school in the Moreno Valley and wrinkling noses as far away as the Simi and San Fernando Valleys.
The Air Quality Management District has been investigating the smell, which has prompted many residents to call 911.
There has been considerable speculation that the odor is coming from a fish die-off at the Salton Sea near Indio.
But Andrew Schlange, interim general manager of the Salton Sea Authority, told NBC4 that it is not yet clear whether the inland sea is the culprit.
"We are in the process of trying to track it down," Schlange said. It would be unusual, he said, for a fish die-off to cause odors so far from the Salton Sea.
The smell may not be coming from the Salton Sea at all, he said. Or if it is from the Salton Sea, there could be other reasons for it. For example, Schlange said, high winds that ripped through the area last night might have disturbed still water underneath the surface, bringing up a foul odor.
Emergency personnel at the Los Angeles Fire Department were also trying to track down the smell. But by mid-morning, little information was available, spokesman Brian Humphrey said.
"LAFD is not aware of any specific hazard associated with the odor," Humphrey said in a fire department email alert.
Read the original story on NBCLosAngeles.com
The odor "has been sense across vast expanses of Southern California since early this morning," he wrote.
At Rainbow Ridge Elementary School in Moreno Valley, the smell was particularly bad at about 7:15 a.m. Monday, Kymberlee Henry-Davis said in an email to NBC4.
"All of the children were holding their noses," Henry-Davis wrote. "I even saw a child vomiting."
More content from NBCNews.com:
- No negative impacts from repeal of 'don't ask, don't tell', study finds
- Should felons vote? In some states, it's easy; in others, impossible
- FBI arrests Trenton, N.J., mayor, others in corruption probe
- SEAL explains why bin Laden was dangerous when killed
- 'Jew Pond' name officially changed on US maps
- In Arctic oil battle, Shell starts preliminary drilling
Leave a Comment:
The Detroit Tigers just stunk up the joint losing 3 games to the Los Angeles Angels. I'm guessing the lingering smell is from that lousy team....
Toilet humor? And such crass toilet humor, as well. You people are better than that.
The smell is caused by sulfur dioxide, a heavy molecule that gets trapped by lighter gases that don't quite have the mass of carbon dioxide, and so get trapped under the blanket of CO2 generated by densely popualted areas. I don't know where it is coming from, but I'd bet anything it is coming from the sewer system. Part of the sewer treatment process involves seperating carbon from other elements in huge tanks and filter systems. These systems are supposed to be anaerobic; that is, they are supposed to be airless to prevent the existence of common bacteria that need air to survive. If there is a leak, free carbon get into untreated material.
Once carbon gets into an organic mass, it immediately begins generating heat and bonding. Not much heat is required to produce sulfur dioxide, and some bacterium common in the human digestive system excrete it as a matter of course. Hence, the rotten-egg smell of certain explulsions.
California has an air leak in their sewer system somewhere, but they don't dare admit it. That would make them look bad. They're stalling by saying they don't know what is happening while they try to contain the leak. My advice is to not drink the tap water until this clears up. You may not taste it in the water, as tastebuds are a lot less sensitive than olfactory sensors, but it is there, and it has a (very) small chance to cause infection. Either buy bottled water or boil water until they figure out where the air leak is.
I would say the evidence does not support that conclusion.
Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S). You get Sulfur Dioxide(SO2) only after H2S is burned.
Nope can't be a sewer leak... We are talking about hundreds of square miles here. Since it's not just the city and surronding areas, it is all around in different directions. Probably several underground vents of sulfur in different locations ejected at once. This maybe a bad sign for Cali. Mt. St. Helens hade a very simular smell before its huge eruption. Blame it on garbage, wow we really are so silly sometimes. Wait till the earth does some real damage. ADVICE move somewhere that isnt surounded by fault lines and volcanoes/pools of tar. The whole area is unstable, only a matter of time before something major happens and the rest of the country is gonna pay to rebuild the crap coast back up again.
It's the smell of the GOP trying to make a stink in Ca.
Oh by the way all the freaks out of Ca. saying a big one is coming, maybe but when its freezin' where you're at we will be enjoying the sun, the surf and a cold one. :))
Nah, Nancy Pelosie cut one.
The Detroit Tigers just finished stinking up the joint by losing a 3 game series to the Los Angeles Angels. My guess is the rotten egg smell came from their crummy overpaid baseball team
..... as a kid... i stayed with my aunt one summer in Indiana .... i remember her drinking water smelled like rotten eggs ... it was sulfur .....
Silent but deadly.
im wondering if they have checked with the US geological society see if any like volcanoes or earthquakes could be the culprit.I mean rotten eggs is suflur and i vaguly remember volcanoe's being associated with the smell but i may be wrong lol.
It's the smell of liberals and liberalism! It stinks to high heaven!
Dr. E
Uh oh,someones skunk weed patch musta burned up...
Sorry about that Cali.
-Tiajuana
That's the smell of the American Dream rotting away.
I agree it may have something to do with the earthquakes just like the Yangtze River in China turning red after their pair of quakes. I am not a bible thumping nut but I do believe in God. There are alot of things happening in the world the past couple years. Major quakes, tsunamis, major storms, major tornadoes, major fires, diseases that haven't been around for some time, there are also volcano's starting to come to life. It makes one wonder.
I hope God does come back. I can't wait. It'll be awesome and scary and exhilarating at the same time to watch Jesus come riding back in. Hope I live to see it
The people of Southern California should begin to prepare for a major earthquake.Watch your animals closely,should they start to behave oddly it's time to get your disaster kits ready and procure all necessary supplies you might think you need to ride it out,and camp outside to help prevent injuries from falling debris indoors.Good luck.
Let's see, California, rotten eggs most commonly associated with hygrogen sulphide gas which among other things can be released during volcanic activity. I would like to think they've eliminated that possibility but it's Californioa, who knows.
I live here and It stinks every now and then. It is from Salton Sea, and nobody goes there. Dry that thing up already, how many rich old people have to suffer?
Not a hard one to figure out. It is the rotting smell of California Liberals and their fowl programs, politics and wait a minute was Polosi in town?
Not to worry, California. What you're smelling is Nicholas Cage's new movie. It'll pass.
If you're smelling it, it's already "passed".
Volcanic gasses run Buffy run
Is B.O. or JBi campaigning there? Or has Pelosi returned home?
@Barb210 - my, what an incredibly childish remark.
Your parents must be so proud of you!
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's smelly breath. Nothing but trash comes from his liberal democratic taco breath.
Thats bs, the smell has been around for a couple years now, whats really going on fulks,.
People! It is simply Moreno Valley's sewer system backed up. The winds from last night and earlier this monday morning carried the smell all over SoCal. But if you went to Moreno Valley or Perris or nearby Riverside, you'd realize the smell was SO overbearing in that area (hence the kids vomiting and holding their noses) that it wasn't a gas leak, it was just the smell of sh*t coming from MoVal's backed up city sewer!
Makes sense Linda9, but the smells are also in Palm Springs and Desert Hot Springs. I became aware of the smells on September 4, 2012 the first time. I woke up to it in Yucca Valley that morning and thought it was the sewege system in Yucca Valley. I had an appointment in Palm Springs and thought the smells would not follow me to Palm Springs. Wrong. When I arrived in Desert Hot Springs, I realized the smells were there as well, as badly as in Yucca Valley. And when I arrived in Palm Springs, the smells seemed to be even worse. Therefore, the theory of a backed up sewege system in Moreno Valley appears incorrect. Takes us back to speculations. The theory of toxic gases from earth fissures about to open wider (such as in earthquakes) makes more sense perhaps ?
With all the siesmic activity happening in CA it would not be a bad idea to test for ppb levels of H2S or other sulfur biproducts that could be "burbing" from the ground or small openings from around. For it to be so foul, it may be safe levels ( as high levels over time will become odorless). Didn't look at the location, but if it near any of the 3.3 or higher quakes, its very possible. Lots of activity around the world this week. Worth looking into. Doubt it's from dead fish, but could be coming up through the water- SO2 and H2S can escape from lakes or other bodies of water and again through faults and small cracks in the ground. This is CA? Look up H2S and SO2 gas for odor- first thing is rotten eggs...
About to leave apple valley mn to go to simi valley. Not worried about any of this. People make dumb comments. I'm sure your state is no better.
I live in Porter Ranch and I definitely smelled it when I was walking my dog about 10:00 this morning.
Everything seems normal now.