AEP owns nearly 40,000 circuit miles of transmission lines and more than
200,000 miles of distribution lines to serve its five million customers across the
11 states it serves. The company works actively to ensure the safe, reliable, and
environmentally responsible operation of its transmission and distribution system.
To provide reliable electric service, AEP controls vegetation within its power line
rights-of-way with a combination of chemical, biological and mechanical clearing
techniques. AEP minimizes the amount of active ingredient of herbicides applied
per acre and is a charter member of the
U.S EPA’s Pesticide Environmental Stewardship Program.
The vast majority of releases or spills associated with delivering electricity
are caused by external forces such as unexpected equipment failures, storm damage,
vehicle accidents or acts of vandalism. The company has constructed containment
structures around many storage tanks and large electrical transformers, removed
and replaced underground storage tanks and trained employees to prevent spills from
occurring and to recognize, contain and clean up spills when they occur. Each reported
release undergoes review by the source facility. If the cause was procedural or
related to equipment failure, changes are made in the process or the equipment is
repaired or replaced.
