Published: September 04 2007 - 4:20 pm Last Updated: September 04 2007 - 4:44 pm
A strange smell hovered over Dauphin Island Tuesday morning, causing at least two people to get sick.
Dauphin Island Police started receiving calls around nine o'clock. Soon after, the Alabama Department of Environmental Management was called in to investigate.
News Five has learned the smell was coming from an ExxonMobil gas platform about 1 1/2 miles off shore. Exxon officials say a production "irregularity" forced them to vent hydrogen sulfide for eight to ten minutes.
"There's nothing to be cleaned up," said Paul Dieffenthaller, Operations Superintendent of Exxon's Mobile Bay Operations. "There was a short emission of the gas. It's been isolated and everything is under control," said Dieffenthaller.
The smell was first reported in the East End by workers at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab. The lab's director says he considered evacuating employees if the odor didn't go away.
"I closed the door immediately when I smelled it the first time," said Dr. George Crozier. "Real high levels will kill you. This was just enough that it's nauseating."
The two people who reported getting sick were members of the lab's house keeping staff. Their supervisor said they had headaches and were vomiting.
People fishing on a nearby pier say the smell was intense.
"If it got any strong we were gonna pass out," said Alex Campbell, who was fishing with his wife. "This is the first time something like that ever happened."
ExxonMobil officials say the problem is now under control, and they do not expect the odor to return. Dieffenthaller says the "irregularity" did not involve a leak or a spill.
