New Yorkers, Don’t Worry, That Gas in the Subway Is Only a Test
Non-toxic gas is released during a bio-attack readiness test in the Times Square area of New York, on Oct. 18.
Photographer: Jeenah Moon/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
New Yorkers riding the subway this week may be unknowingly part of a government test of the city’s bio-hazard defenses.
The assessment, set to run through Oct. 30, will simulate the release of biological agents in a major urban center. That includes pumping non-toxic, “aerosolized and inert tracer gases,” into some of the most densely populated New York City subway stations, according to a memo from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The gases are made up of common ingredients such as table salt and additives found in frosting, beer and soap.