ZTL CTLR DESCRIBED INCIDENT WHEN DEP CLRNC PROCS WERE NOT FOLLOWED BY SUPVR CTLR REGARDING THE RELEASE OF AN IFR DEP FROM AVL.

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ON AUG/XB/06; AT XA30Z A MEDICALLY DECERTIFIED CTLR FROM AVL ATCT NOTIFIED ME THAT AVL IS UNABLE TO ASSUME THE AIRSPACE AND AVL ATCT AND THAT AVL ATCT WAS DECLARING ZERO ATC. I NOTIFIED MY SUPVR OF THE EVENT. AT APPROX XA05Z THE OP MGR CAME TO THE AREA AND STATED THAT I WAS REFUSING ATC CLRNCS OFF OF AVL. AT THE TIME NO ACFT HAD CALLED ME ON THE FREQ OR THROUGH FLT SVC STATION; AND I HAD NOT REFUSED ANY CLRNCS. SHORTLY THEREAFTER; THE AREA PHONE RANG AND ACR X HAD CALLED THE ARDA AND WAS LOOKING FOR A CLRNC. I WAS AT THE SECTOR AND THE ATCS THAT HAD ANSWERED THE PHONE WAS NOT PLUGGED IN OR AWARE OF THE FULL SITUATION. SHE GAVE THE PHONE TO THE OPS MGR; WHO ASKED WHY ACR X HAD GOTTEN A CLRNC? I INFORMED THE OPS MGR THAT NOBODY HAD CALLED ME ON THE FREQ OR THROUGH FLT SVC; AS ACCORDING TO THE ARPT FACILITY DIRECTORY. I TOLD THE OPS MGR HE COULD CALL ME THROUGH FLT SVC (AS ACCORDING TO THE ARPT FACILITY DIRECTORY) OR AT THE END OF THE RWY (WHERE I COULD HEAR THE ACFT). THE OPS MGR INFORMED ME THE ACFT COULD NOT PULL BACK FROM THE GATE UNTIL HE HAD A CLRNC AND SHE WOULD GIVE THE CLRNC. I TOLD HER 'OK' AS LONG AS YOU GIVE HIM A VOID TIME. I DID NOT HEAR THE CLRNC BECAUSE I WAS WORKING THE SECTOR WITH ACFT DEV FOR WX AND THE PHONE WAS SEVERAL FEET AWAY. HENCE; I COULD NOT ENSURE THE CLRNC WAS GOOD. I WAS TOLD THE ACFT HAD A VOID TIME OF 20 MINS AND A HOLD FOR RELEASE. I WAS TOLD THE ACFT WAS INITIALLY GIVEN A BAD ALT BUT THE ALT WAS CORRECTED.