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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D. C. 20549
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FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report June 20, 1994
I.R.S.
Commission Employer
File State of Identification
Number Registrant Incorporation Number
001-11227 Washington Energy Company Washington 91-1005304
001-11271 Washington Natural Gas Company Washington 91-1005303
815 Mercer Street, Seattle, Washington 98111
(Address of Registrant's principal executive offices)
Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (206) 622-6767
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Item 5. Other Events
On June 10, 1994, the Superior Court for the State of Washington, King
County, entered final judgment in favor of Washington Natural Gas Company
("Washington Natural"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Washington Energy
Company, in Washington Natural Gas Company v. Aetna Casualty and Surety Co.,
et al., No. 91-2-13506-1. Under the terms of the final judgment, Washington
Natural is entitled to collect its present and future uncompensated reasonable
and necessary costs in remediating the Tacoma Historic Coal Gasification
Facility Superfund site in Tacoma, Washington from the policies of the four
remaining insurer defendants in the action, American Home Assurance Company,
various London Market insurers, the Seven Provinces Insurance Company, and
Aetna Casualty and Surety Company. The liability of these insurers is joint
and several, up to the annual limits of their policies and subject to relevant
underlying limits. The judgment provides for limitation of some of the
insurers' liability based on the presence in their policies of "other insur-
ance" and "alienated premises" clauses. However, Washington Natural does not
expect this limitation to affect its ability to collect all of its remediation
costs.
The final judgement further awards Washington Natural prejudgment
interest in the amount of $2,947,000 and declares that Washington Natural is
entitled to collect its reasonable attorneys fees and costs incurred in
obtaining coverage of its remediation costs. The amount of such attorneys
fees and costs will be determined in a separate post-judgment motion. The
judgment may be appealed to the appellate courts, and the time for filing such
an appeal has not yet expired.
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Signatures
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 hereunto duly authorized.
WASHINGTON ENERGY COMPANY
by /S/ James P. Torgerson
Senior Vice President - Finance,
Planning and Development and
Chief Financial Officer
WASHINGTON NATURAL GAS COMPANY
by /S/ James P. Torgerson
Senior Vice President - Finance,
Planning and Development and
Chief Financial Officer
June 20, 1994
