The U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) Research and Special Programs Administration (RSPA) announced it is seeking a $674,000 civil penalty against Potomac Electric Power Company (PEPCO) and Support Terminal Services (ST Services), the owners and operators of a PEPCO pipeline, for safety violations related to an oil spill in Maryland. Approximately 3,000 barrels of oil spilled from a pipeline operated by ST Services into the Patuxent River and surrounding wetlands of Swanson Creek in southern Prince Georges County, Md., on April 7, 2000. The penalty action includes fines against PEPCO and ST Services for safety violations identified during the Office of Pipeline Safety's (OPS) investigation following the failure.

Following are the safety violations cited and the proposed civil penalties against PEPCO: PEPCO failed to report all significant information relevant to the extent of damages of the failure.

• More specifically, PEPCO under-reported the amount of spill, which resulted in delayed federal response action. Proposed fine: $25,000.
• PEPCO failed to update their procedural manual for operations, maintenance and emergencies. Proposed fine: $75,000.
• PEPCO failed to have abnormal operating procedures for their reverse flow operations. Proposed fine: $500,000.
• PEPCO failed to maintain daily pumping station operating records. Proposed fine: $74,000.

After the PEPCO pipeline failure, DOT shut down the entire 51.5-mile pipeline system. OPS issued a Corrective Action Order to PEPCO on April 12, 2000 outlining measures the company must complete before OPS will consider allowing the pipeline to reopen.