By Meghan Oliver

Sentinel Staff Writer

Washington Gas released a report July 6 stating what it believes to be the cause of the approximately 1,400 gas leaks in Prince George's County. A deterioration in rubber seals used in mechanical couplings, which join distribution mains and service lines, have been found to be the source of the leaks—one of which caused a District Heights' home to explode in March—according to gas officials.

ENVIRON International Corp., Polymer Solutions and Akron Rubber Development Laboratory, were asked by Washington Gas to perform independent investigations in an effort to pinpoint the cause of the leaks, found to be occurring within 100 square miles of the county.

Washington Gas, a subsidiary of WGL Holdings, reported that the study showed that while winter ground temperatures and aging seals played a role in the rubber seals' deterioration, ultimately gas composition was to blame.

The area within Prince George's County that has suffered gas leaks over the past two years receives natural gas from the Cove Point natural gas terminal in southern Maryland. The study, as stated in a release from Washington Gas, proved that the chemical composition of that gas has "drying effects" that "adversely impacted" the rubber seals.

Dominion Resources, Inc., which operates the Cove Point terminal where natural gas is delivered via tankers from overseas, refuted Washington Gas' interpretation of the study.

"We are asking Washington Gas Light to cease and desist from misrepresenting what is in their own report," said Dan Donovan, spokesperson for Dominion. "The gas leaks were caused by [Washington Gas'] old infrastructure ... not the gas."

Donovan said that WGL's infrastructure is a system that must be "updated and maintained" to operate efficiently and safely. He said that the composition of the gas is not responsible for the rubber seals' degradation.

The gas delivered to Prince George's County through Washington Gas is "interchangeable" with gas used throughout the northeast and mid-Atlantic, Donovan explained.

"They are getting a high quality gas from us that was delivered to their specifications," he said.

A statement released by Dominion said that the gas delivered to Cove Point for WGL's use "is in strict compliance with the gas quality requirements of our (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission) Gas Tariff. These requirements were driven in large part by WGL and are among the most restrictive in the industry."

In response to the laboratories' study results, Washington Gas stated it would try to reverse the effects of the Cove Point gas.

"We believe that we can reverse seal deterioration by conditioning the Cove Point gas entering the system to prevent future drying of rubber seals," said Adrian Chapman, Vice President of Energy Acquisition and Regulatory Affairs for Washington Gas.

In addition to conditioning the gas, Washington Gas stated it will spend $144 million on monitoring the gas entering Cove Point and on the rehabilitation of the company's service lines and distribution mains in Prince George's County by 2007.

On July 8, County Executive Jack Johnson issued a statement expressing anger over Washington Gas' dissemination of information to the public.

"The investigation report has been in the hands of Washington Gas officials since July 1, but the top company officials failed to share their conclusions with the public until almost a week later," Johnson said. This, he added, prevented the government and the public from making their own "independent review" of the study.

Johnson also said that WGL's decision to condition the Cove Point gas is cause for concern.

"I am also very alarmed that Washington Gas would consider making recommendations to continue using imported gas by injecting hydrocarbons to reverse the deterioration of the couplings without first notifying the public. The company's failure to provide all of the facts has denied Prince George's County residents, its customers, from making informed decisions."