SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D. C. 20549
FORM 8-K/A
CURRENT REPORT
PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
Amendment No. 2 of Form 8-K filed on April 18, 2002
Commission Registrant; State of Incorporation; I.R.S. Employer
File Number Address; and Telephone Number Identification No.
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333-21011 FIRSTENERGY CORP. 34-1843785
(An Ohio Corporation)
76 South Main Street
Akron, Ohio 44308
Telephone (800)736-3402
Item 4. Changes in Registrant's Certifying Accountant
(a) Previous independent accountant
(i) On April 11, 2002, Arthur Andersen LLP was dismissed as the independent
accountant for FirstEnergy Corp. and its wholly owned subsidiaries
effective with the completion of the 2001 audits and related regulatory
filings. On May 1, 2002, FirstEnergy filed its Form U5S with the
Securities and Exchange Commission under the Public Utility Holding
Company Act of 1935. This completed FirstEnergy's regulatory filings
for 2001.
(ii) Except for the modification to FirstEnergy Corp.'s 2001 audit report to
identify its change in accounting principle for the adoption of
Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 133, "Accounting for
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities," as amended, effective
January 1, 2001, the reports of Arthur Andersen LLP on the financial
statements of FirstEnergy for the two most recent fiscal years
contained no adverse opinion or disclaimer of opinion and were not
qualified or modified as to uncertainty, audit scope or accounting
principle.
(iii) In connection with the audits for the two most recent fiscal years and
through May 1, 2002, there have been no disagreements with Arthur
Andersen LLP on any matter of accounting principles or practices,
financial statement disclosure, or auditing scope or procedure, which
disagreements, if not resolved to the satisfaction of Arthur Andersen
LLP would have caused them to make reference thereto in their reports
on the financial statements for such years.
(iv) During the two most recent fiscal years and through May 1, 2002, there
have been no reportable events as defined in Regulation S-K Item
304(a)(1)(v).
(v) FirstEnergy has requested that Arthur Andersen LLP furnish it with a
letter addressed to the Securities and Exchange Commission stating
whether or not they agree with the above statements. A copy of such
letter, dated May 9, 2002, is filed as Exhibit 16 to this Form 8-K/A.
(b) New independent accountant
On April 11, 2002, FirstEnergy appointed PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as its
new independent accountant effective for the first quarter of 2002. During
the two most recent fiscal years and through April 11, 2002, FirstEnergy has
not consulted with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP regarding either:
(i) the application of accounting principles to a specified transaction,
either completed or proposed; or the type of audit opinion that might
be rendered on FirstEnergy's financial statements, and neither a
written report was provided to FirstEnergy or oral advice was provided
that PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP concluded was an important factor
considered by FirstEnergy in reaching a decision as to the accounting,
auditing or financial reporting issue; nor
(ii) any matter that was either the subject of a disagreement, as that term
is defined in Item 304(a)(1)(iv) of Regulation S-K and the related
instructions to Item 304 of Regulation S-K, or a reportable event, as
that term is defined in Item 304(a)(1)(v) of Regulation S-K.
Item 7. Exhibits
Exhibit No. Description
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16 Arthur Andersen LLP letter to the Securities and Exchange
Commission regarding the change in certifying accountant.
SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned thereunto duly authorized.
May 9, 2002
FIRSTENERGY CORP.
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Registrant
/s/ Harvey L. Wagner
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Harvey L. Wagner
Vice President and Controller