Duers in MD, VA, or DC. Were you aware of a Pentagon air test on Thurs?

[flashl]

Pentagon to test invisible gases in Crystal City

The Examiner
2008-03-01

WASHINGTON - The Pentagon is scheduled to release an odorless, invisible, and yes, harmless, gases into the city Thursday to test how quickly they spread through buildings, officials said.

The test is part of the military's national security preparation for the capital area.

...

If weather cooperates, the Pentagon will release perfluorocarbon tracers, which are commonly used commercially to detect leaks, and sulfur hexafluoride, a common window insulator filling, near the Jefferson Plaza building at 10am on Thursday and Friday.

Officials in yellow vests will set up 80 battery-operated samplers - toolbox-looking cases with 12 air tubes inside of them - throughout Crystal City and will check the air samples in the tubes afterwards to evaluate how quickly and how high the gases spread.

Examiner

[leftofcool]

1. It's been done before

[Insomnicole]

2. Yes, my company was informed...

My company (in Crystal City) sent out a broadcast email the week before letting us know about this, although they didn't give us the specific date.

[babylonsister]

3. Not to alarm you, but this article mentions it:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=103&topic_id=343186

[flashl]

4. Thanks. nt

[JaneQPublic]

5. I suppose it was just a coincidence that this occurred right after...

...McCain and Dubya got together for their franks and beans lunch.

Oh wait. The article said "odorless" gas. Never mind.

[SpiralHawk]

6. Petagon's secret plan to Gas Loyal Americans

[bananas]

7. Crystal City is an "underground city"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crystal_City,_Virginia

<snip>

Characterized as one of many "urban villages" by Arlington County, Crystal City is almost exclusively populated by high-rise apartment buildings, corporate offices, hotels, and numerous shops and restaurants. There is also an extensive network of underground shopping areas and connecting corridors beneath Crystal City.

<snip>

Due to Crystal City's extensive integration with both office buildings and residential high-rise buildings, it is possible for most residents living to the east of Route 1 to traverse from one end to the other (roughly north-south), performing any shopping or dining along the way, entirely underground, thus making Crystal City an underground city.

<snip>