Operators initially considered approaching the reactor manway to attempt to reseal the gasket, but
the leak was too large to stop and the venting vapor was moving toward them. With the two
reactants and the catalyst fully charged into the reactor, no ability to increase the cooling rate, no
emergency dilution system, and no reactor vent scrubber,17 they had no choice but to evacuate the
area. All seven personnel safely evacuated the facility as the vapor cloud rapidly expanded and
began drifting off site to the north and east.
A 9:34 PM call informed the Whitfield County 911 Emergency Management Center that a
"chemical release involving allyl alcohol" was occurring at the MFG Callahan Road facility. The
emergency operator notified the Dalton City Fire Department dispatcher that there had been a
"chemical spill" and the fire department should respond.