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Office
of the People's Counsel for the District of Columbia
1133 15th Street, N.W. Suite 500 Washington,
D.C. 20005 (202) 727-3071 FAX: (202) 727-1014
TTY/TDD (202) 727-2876 www.opc-dc.gov
Elizabeth
A. Noël, People's Counsel
CONTACT:
PHIL HARMON (202) 727-3071 email: ccceo@opc-dc.gov
May
8, 2001
30th
Underground Explosion Means PSC Must Act Now to Require
PEPCO To Fix Its Aged Underground Distribution System Before
Innocent Bystanders Are Hurt Or Worse!!
"In the wake of the 30th "underground eruption"
of PEPCO's distribution system since last year, it is clear
PEPCO is playing Russian Roulette with the public safety
of our citizens and our city," said Elizabeth A. Noël,
People's Counsel for the District of Columbia.
The People's Counsel has filed a Petition before the Public
Service Commission, the regulatory agency with exclusive
and plenary jurisdiction over the reliability of PEPCO's
distribution system, asking the Commission to require PEPCO
to make all necessary corrections to its distribution system
before it is allowed to give its shareholders the net proceeds
of the sale of its five generating plants. If not, D.C.
consumers and citizens will be left "holding the bag",
having to pay to fix PEPCO's system to protect their safety
and well being.
"No longer can we avoid the fact that if the system
is left as it is now, someone will get hurt or much, much
worse." Stated People's Counsel Elizabeth A. Noël.
"Thirty incidents cannot be ignored! As we have done
in the past, OPC has again petitioned the PSC to convene
a public hearing to create a public record concerning these
"underground eruptions, fires, explosions and disturbances
in PEPCO's underground distribution system. Also the PSC
needs to direct PEPCO to file written reports on all incidents
involving its underground distribution system, not just
reports on those incidents which it chooses to report"
stated Ms. Noël. The People's Counsel suggests the Commission's
failure to take immediate action to use its plenary authority
to regulate PEPCO concerning the reliability and safety
of its distribution system is not in the public interest."
As stated in the OPC petition last year, "The Office
submits that D.C. ratepayers are entitled to assurance from
this Commission that, after the smoke clears and dollars
are awarded to shareholders, that D.C. ratepayers will not
be left holding the bag for the financial responsibility
of rehabilitating an aging distribution system that was
not properly maintained or upgraded by PEPCO (if this is
determined to be true in this proceeding), as well as the
potential liabilities that may arise from future manhole
incidents as a result of PEPCO'S inaction.
Sadly, these words are as true now as they were last June.
Failure to act at this time could lead to a perilous and
costly disaster for the innocent people living, working
and visiting our city, unaware of the time bomb beneath
our streets.
"Months have passed, and these underground explosions
persist. It is high time to use the breadth of the Public
Service Commission's statutory authority to cause to correct
these problems once and for all and to let them know their
shareholders will not be permitted to receive the bounty
of divestiture while D.C. citizens duck exploding manhole
covers and worse!" said the People's Counsel.
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The
Office of the People’s Counsel is an independent agency
of the District of Columbia
government that represents consumers of energy and telecommunications
services.