A80 CTLR RPTS USE OF VISUAL SEPARATION BY ATL ATCT DOES NOT MEET HANDBOOK REQUIREMENTS SINCE THE FACILITIES WERE SLIT IN 2004.

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IN 2004; THE FAA SPLIT ATL TWR INTO 2 SEPARATE FACILITIES -- ATL ATCT AND A80 TRACON. DURING THE TIME ATL WAS A COMBINED FACILITY; THE FACILITY APPLIED VISUAL SEPARATION ON DEPS BY INSTRUCTING AN ACFT TO MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION FROM THE PRECEDING DEP AND CLRED THE ACFT FOR TKOF. THE ACFT THEN SWITCHED TO DEP AND APPROPRIATE COORD WAS ACCOMPLISHED WITH THE DEP CTLR TO ADVISE THAT VISUAL SEPARATION WAS BEING APPLIED BY THE PLTS. NOW; THE FACILITIES HAVE BEEN SPLIT INTO 2 SEPARATE FACILITIES. CTLR NO LONGER ROTATE BTWN THE TWR AND TRACON. HOWEVER; THE PROC CONTINUES TO BE APPLIED IN THE SAME MANNER. MY CONCERN IS THAT THE 7110.65; PARAGRAPH 7-2-1A SPECIFICALLY STATES THAT THIS KIND OF VISUAL SEPARATION MAY ONLY BE 'APPLIED BTWN ACFT UNDER THE CTL OF THE SAME FACILITY....' I BELIEVE THAT ATL/A80 ARE APPLYING THIS PROC ILLEGALLY! ADDITIONALLY; THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL OPERRORS INVOLVING VISUAL SEPARATION; OR LACK THEREOF; SINCE THE FACILITIES HAVE BEEN SPLIT AND SINCE THE ADVENT OF RNAV SID'S. THE SITUATION HAS RESULTED IN A REDUCTION OF SAFETY!