Foul smell in Detroit’s air linked to Marathon petroleum

If you smelled rotten eggs in the Detroit area Monday, you’re not alone.

Marathon Petroleum refinery is apparently responsible for that stench.

In a press release, the company acknowledged the smell is caused by a chemical called mercaptan, which is a chemical used to make natural gas smell like rotten eggs. That makes is easily detectable.

“Marathon Petroleum has implemented processes at its Detroit refinery to stop a release from a flare that is not functioning properly. These processes have significantly reduced the amount of material flowing to the flare since this morning,” the release said.

“We apologize for the inconvenience to the community, and we are conducting a thorough investigation to determine what caused this release. Once determined, will implement the necessary corrective actions so that this does not happen again.”