MEDIA HELI PLT FLIES INTO SPECIAL USE AIRSPACE WITHOUT AUTH.

Narrative

LCL RESIDENTS HAD BEEN COMPLAINING ABOUT AN ODOR FROM A LCL LAND FILL FOR THE PAST 2 YRS. THE PROB HAD ESCALATED TO THE POINT WHERE THE STATE EPA OFFICIALS WITH LCL OFFICIALS STARTED AN INVESTIGATION. APPARENTLY THEY FOUND HYDROCHLORIC SULFIDE GAS (SWAMP GAS) COMING FROM THE SITE. THIS IS NOT CONSIDERED DANGEROUS IN A DILUTED STATE AND IS CAUSED BY ROTTING GARBAGE. I FLY A HELI FOR A LCL TV STATION. WE HAD BEEN OVER THE AREA A FEW DAYS PRIOR TO PICK UP SOME AERIALS ON THE SITE. ON FEB/XX/95 AT XA00 PM WE HAD RECEIVED A 2 PAGE PRESS RELEASE FROM THE COUNTY THAT THERE WOULD BE A MANDATORY EVACUATION FROM THE AREA SATURDAY AND SUNDAY; AM THROUGH PM FOR ALL RESIDENTS 1/4 MI FROM THE SOURCE. THERE WAS NO MENTION ON THE PRESS RELEASE OF ANY FLT RESTRS. I ASSUMED DURING THE MANDATORY EVACUATION SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY; THE AREA WOULD BE OFF LIMITS. KNOWING ALSO THAT SAME DAY; JAN/XX/95; IN THE AREA ANOTHER LCL TV STATION HELI HAD BEEN IN AND OUT. WITH ALL THIS IN MIND; WE RESPONDED AT XA25 TO PICK UP SOME LAST MIN AERIALS OF THE SITE FOR THE FRIDAY NIGHT NEWS. ARRIVING OVER THE SITE; WE WERE NOTIFIED BY THE STATION THE AREA WAS RESTR. LCL AUTH ON THE GND CALLED THE STATION; THEY IN TURN CALLED ME; ON THE WAY BACK I CALLED FLT SVC AND THERE WAS IN FACT A NOTAM ISSUED FOR A TEMPORARY FLT RESTR THE PREVIOUS DAY. IT ONLY TAKES A FEW MIN ENRTE TO A SCENE TO CHK FOR NOTAMS.