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 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,
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 7, 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 7, 2002
FIRSTENERGY CORP.
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Registrant
/s/ Harvey L. Wagner
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Harvey L. Wagner
Vice President and Controller