NEW YORK – New York City’s response plans for a chemical or biological attack will be tested in the coming weeks as part of a study of the city’s subway system.
The MTA announced that the Department of Homeland Security, working with a team of investigators and city agencies, will use a non-toxic gas this month at approximately 120 locations operated by transit agencies.
The tests will take place on five separate days between October 18 and 29.
The agency made it clear to people that the gas is not toxic and does not pose any health risk.
The study simulates “the aerosol release of a biological agent in a densely populated urban environment.”
“The study will track the movement of non-toxic material and the results of these tests will be used to learn more about the relationship between airflow at street level and underground environments,” the MTA said.
Travelers can expect to see teams of investigators working in locations scattered throughout the city, both on the streets and in the subways.
The study is part of the ongoing testing of the federal urban threat dispersal program. New York City has been tested before, in 2016, as have other major cities, such as Washington DC and Boston.
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