For Immediate Release
September 21, 2003, 4:00 p.m.

As the process to restore power to area residents continues, many Pepco customers are asking whose responsibility it is to remove trees and debris so that power can be restored.

When Pepco workers arrive at a site where a tree has fallen on a live wire, they will deactivate the power line and untangle it from a tree so that a tree removal crew can safely remove the tree and debris. In some cases Pepco workers will cut the line at the utility pole, untangle it from the tree and roll it up high against the utility pole until the tree is removed and the wire can be restored.

Pepco's job is to make sure the site is safe from live wires. Once that process is complete, it is the responsibility of the jurisdiction where the tree is located to remove the tree and any debris.

In cases where a tree has fallen on an individual home, it is the homeowner's responsibility to remove the tree and complete repairs. In these cases, the homeowner must contact a tree removal company to remove the tree and debris. Once again if the fallen tree is in contact with Pepco wires, Pepco will work together with that contractor to make the process safe and free of live wires before the tree removal crew works on the tree.

Sometimes a downed tree has fallen across a street but has not come in contact with any power lines. If the tree blocks Pepco crews from safely entering the area to restore power, Pepco will contact the appropriate municipality that is responsible to have the tree and debris removed. In some cases, Pepco crews will leave behind debris or entire trees after they complete their work. It is the responsibility of the municipality or homeowner to remove the debris.

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About Pepco: For more than 100 years, Pepco has served the people of the Washington metropolitan area with clean, reliable and low-cost electricity. Pepco, a wholly owned subsidiary of Pepco Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: POM), provides electricity transmission and distribution services to more than 700,000 customers in the District of Columbia and major portions of Prince George`s and Montgomery County in Maryland.

Point of Contact:
Robert Dobkin