Cleanup Efforts Well Underway, Nearing Completion

Washington , DC - Pepco's Environmental and Spill Response Team reports that the leak that occurred in the early hours of Sunday, January 23, was stopped quickly. An estimated 5,500 gallons of nontoxic mineral oil leaked from an electric transformer located in the company's switch yard of the Potomac River Power Station owned by GenOn.

The cause was an intake pipe that separated from a transformer, allowing mineral oil used as a coolant to flow into the emergency containment reservoir.

Some of the mineral oil reached the river water intake area of the GenOn Potomac River Power Plant adjacent to the Pepco facility. As soon as the oil was detected in the river water, the leaked mineral oil was contained by booms.

The mineral oil that leaked onto the land around the transformer has been contained and most has been cleaned up. Overnight cleanup efforts will concentrate on removing the leaked mineral oil from the contained, boomed area of the river.

Pepco notified concerned city, state and federal agencies in a timely manner as required. The City of Alexandria Fire Marshall and representatives of the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, EPA's On-Scene Coordinator and the U.S. Coast Guard assisted in the response on site; Pepco's Environmental and Spill Response Team is working closely with all government agency representatives.

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Pepco, a subsidiary of Pepco Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: POM), delivers safe, reliable and affordable electric service to more than 778,000 customers in Maryland and the District of Columbia.