How many government agencies does it take to figure out the source of a funky smell bewildering the tri-state area for months?
Apparently, at least half a dozen.
For months, multiple agencies, power companies and officials in Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania have been fielding calls from people complaining of a "mystery odor" that smells somewhat like fuel.
The phones are still ringing. But whether the smells being reported in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, and surrounding areas are mysteriously related is proving to be a challenge.
"Once the odor’s gone, it’s almost impossible to figure out where it came from," said Virginia Cain, a spokeswoman with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. "Some folks describe it as more oily, some as more diesel, some as gas or natural gas."
"We deal with odor complaints all the time," Cain said. "What made this situation different is it was really the first time we were seeing such widespread odor complaints over an entire area, moving throughout the entire county."
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Some of the organizations involved in investigating the smell include the U.S. Coast Guard, local power companies, the National Weather Service, local emergency officials and environmental regulators from Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, according to that meeting’s minutes.
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