March 21, 2000

SOUTH BEND, Ind. - Northern Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO), a subsidiary of NiSource Inc., will begin replacing natural gas mains and service lines in select parts of South Bend beginning today.

The project will affect customers bound by W. Sample Street on the South, W. Ford Street on the North, S. Kaley Street on the East, and S. Gladstone Avenue on the West. NIPSCO has contracted Mueller Energy Services, Inc. to install the new gas mains and services and Bob Somers Plumbing to do meter piping and appliance re-lights. The project is expected to be complete in three months.

Throughout this project, NIPSCO will minimize any inconveniences or access restrictions to its customers property by boring under driveways, sidewalks, and curbs whenever possible. New gas mains will be installed in either the lawn or alleys. Gas service lines will be installed by means of boring or plowing. Once construction is complete, NIPSCO will restore the appropriate portion of the customer's yard that was affected.

NIPSCO is asking all customers to inform the Company about any underground obstructions such as sprinkler systems, privately owned sewer lines or any other items that will need special precautions.

After the new service line has been installed, the serviceman will transfer the gas meter to the new service line. This will require the company to shut off the customer's gas services momentarily. If a customer's meter is currently inside, the contractor will schedule an appointment with the customer to relocate the meter to the outside. Once the meter is transferred, the customer's services will be turned back on and the serviceman will re-light the customer's appliances. If a customer is not home during the day, a card will be left on their door with instructions to call NIPSCO's 24-hour customer service center at 1-800-4-NIPSCO (1-800-464-7726).

This service improvement is part of NIPSCO's on-going efforts to deliver natural gas to its customers in a safe, reliable manner. NIPSCO apologizes for any inconvenience brought about by this service improvement and would like to thank all of its customers in advance for their cooperation.

Northern Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO), a subsidiary of NiSource Inc. (NI), is a regulated utility that provides natural gas service to nearly 700,000 customers and electrical service to 416,000 customers across the northern third of Indiana. NIPSCO is the largest natural gas distribution company and the second largest electric distribution company in the state of Indiana. More information about NIPSCO and other NiSource Inc. subsidiaries is available via the Internet at www.nipsco.com.