East Point chemical leak brings evacuation, school closings
By MIKE MORRIS
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 12/16/04
A commercial tank leaking a mixture of flammable chemicals has forced the evacuation of downtown East Point, closing area schools and roads and disrupting MARTA rail service.
About 40 streets in a 1.4-mile radius of downtown were closed after the leak was reported about 8:20 p.m. Wednesday.
John Spink/AJC
A worker looks over tanks at Brenntag Mid-South Inc., site of Thursday's chemical leak in East Point.
East Point officials estimated thousands of people were evacuated from their homes, with some heading out in the cold to stay with family or friends and others going to temporary shelters set up by the city.
Fire officials, who are still trying to cap the leak, said this morning that no one can return until federal health officials say so. Broadcast reports that people were being allowed back into their homes were incorrect, fire officials said.
Dr. Jim Augustine, the medical director for the Atlanta Fire Department, said the leaking chemical is glacial acetic acid, "which, when mixed with water, produces vinegar."
The chemical causes no long-term health hazard, he said.
http://www.ajc.com/news/content/metro/atlanta/1204/16chemleak.html