NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC OF A PETITION FOR

NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC OF A PETITION FOR

DECLARATORY JUDGMENT REGARDING THE

AUTHORITY OF COLUMBIA GAS OF VIRGINIA, INC.

TO ASSESS PENALTIES AND CHARGES UNDER

RATE SCHEDULE TS-1/TS-2 AGAINST CUSTOMERS

WHO FAILED TO COMPLY WITH CERTAIN

BALANCING SERVICE RESTRICTIONS

CASE NO. PUE020070

On January 17. 2002, Columbia Gas of Virginia, Inc. ("Columbia" or"Company") filed a Petition for Declaratory Judgment ("Petition") with the State Corporation Commission ("Commission"), requesting the Commission to declare, among other things, that Columbia has authority to assess penalties and charges against customers who failed to comply with certain balancing service restrictions issued by the Company during the winter of 2000-01. The Company has asked that the Commission declare that Columbia has authority under Rate Schedule TS-1 or Rate Schedule TS-2 to: (i) issue balancing service restrictions; (ji) restrict Columbia's customers' access to banked natural gas quantities; (iii) charge customers a Gas Daily commodity price for gas consumed in excess of their authorized daily volume during a balancing service restriction; (iv) assess a penalty of $10 per Mcf for all gas used in excess of 102 percent of the customers' authorized daily volumes during a balancing service restriction; and (v) impose, rather than waive, penalties assessed against customers who are "habitual” offenders of Columbia's balancing service restrictions. Columbia maintains that a declaratory judgment will afford relief to it and to its customers who received natural gas service from Columbia during the winter of 2000-01, and resolve any uncertainty regarding the Company's, as well as its customers', rights under Rate Schedules TS-1 and TS-2.

The Commission has entered a Preliminary Order that dockets the proceeding the proceeding, requires the Company to give notice to the public of its Petition, invites interested parties to file a pleading responsive to the Petition or to request a hearing on the same, and assigns a Hearing Examiner to conduct further proceedings in the matter on behalf of the Commission, concluding with the issuance of a written final report and recommendations to the Commission.

Copies of Columbia's Petition, the documents accompanying the Petition, and the Preliminary Order entered in this matter are available for public inspection in the Commission^ Document Control Center, located on the First Floor of the Tyler Building, 1300 East Main Street. Richmond, Virginia 23219, from 8:15 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Copies of the Company's Petition, the documents accompanying the Petition, and the Preliminary Order entered by the Commission may be ordered from the Company's counsel, Kodwo Ghartey-Tagoe, Esquire, and Shannon Omia Pierce, Esquire, McGuireWoods, LLP, One James Center, 901 East Cary Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219.

Any interested party who wishes to file a pleading responsive to the Company's Petition or a request for hearing on the Company’s Petition shall file with the Clerk of the Commission at the address set forth below on or before March 18. 2002, an original and fifteen (15) copies of a responsive pleading or a request for hearing, or both. On or before March 18, 2002, interested parties filing a responsive pleading or a request for hearing, or both. On or before March 18, 2002, interested parties filing a responsive pleading or a request for hearing, or both, shall serve a copy of the same upon Columbia's counsel at the address set forth above.

All written communications to the Commission concerning Columbia’s Petition must be directed to Joel H. Peck, Clerk of the State Corporation Commission, do Document Control Center, P.O. Box 2118, Richmond, Virginia 23218-2118. All correspondence regarding said Petition must refer to Case No. PUE020070.

COLUMBIA GAS OF VIRGINIA, INC

2-20-02

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