Gas News Release

July 16, 2001

SEIU Local 555, Dominion East Ohio Reach Tentative Agreement on Five-Year Labor Contract

CLEVELAND -- Negotiators for the Natural Gas Workers Union SEIU Local 555 and Dominion East Ohio today reached a tentative agreement on a new five-year labor contract. The agreement covers 1,200 customer service representatives, meter readers, call center representatives and other employees of the natural gas distribution company.

The union’s Executive Committee unanimously approved the contract proposal. A ratification vote by the union membership is scheduled for July 20.

Details of the contract proposal are not being made public.

A day-to-day extension of the current contract has been in place since its June 15 expiration date.

“These have been long, tough negotiations over a wide range of complicated benefits and other issues,” said Eileen Lange, Executive President, Local 555. “Our negotiating committee has worked long and hard to come up with this agreement, which both it and the Executive Committee of the Union have unanimously recommended to the membership for ratification.”

“Our employees have always been the backbone of Dominion East Ohio’s commitment to safe, reliable customer service,” said Edgar M. Roach, Jr., Dominion East Ohio chief executive officer. “We believe this is a fair contract that allows our employees to continue to focus on taking good care of our customers.”

Dominion East Ohio, headquartered in Cleveland, serves 1.2 million residential, commercial and industrial customers in northeast Ohio. It is the largest natural gas distribution subsidiary of Dominion (NYSE: D), headquartered in Richmond, Va.

Dominion is one of the nation’s largest producers of energy, with a production capability of 2.7 trillion British Thermal Units (BTUs) of energy per day. For more information about Dominion, visit the company's website at www.dom.com.