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Pension and Postretirement Health and Life Benefits
 6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2012
Pension and Postretirement Health and Life Benefits  
Pension and Postretirement Health and Life Benefits
8. PENSION AND POSTRETIREMENT HEALTH AND LIFE BENEFITS

The components of net benefit costs for pension and postretirement health and life benefit plans were as follows (in millions):
 
 
  
Defined Benefit Pension Plans
    
 Postretirement Health and Life Benefits Plans
  
   
Three Months Ended
June 30,
    
Six Months Ended
June 30,
    
Three Months Ended
June 30,
    
Six Months Ended
June 30,
  
   
2012
    
2011
    
2012
    
2011
    
2012
    
2011
    
2012
    
2011
  
Service costs
  $ 3.7     $ 3.2     $ 7.3     $ 8.0     $ 0.9     $ 1.4     $ 1.8     $ 2.7  
Interest costs
    12.0       12.5       24.1       25.1       2.8       3.1       5.6       6.1  
Expected return on plan assets
(gains)
    (13.0 )     (13.5 )     (26.0 )     (26.9 )     (0.7 )     (0.9 )     (1.4 )     (1.8 )
Amortization of prior service costs
     0.4       0.4       0.8       0.8       -       -       -       -  
Amortization of actuarial losses
    4.9       2.2       9.8       4.7       1.1       0.6       2.2       1.3  
Curtailment losses
    -       -       -       3.2       -       1.9       -       1.9  
Net benefit costs
  $ 8.0     $ 4.8     $ 16.0     $ 14.9     $ 4.1     $ 6.1     $ 8.2     $ 10.2  

USEC expects to contribute $15.9 million to the defined benefit pension plans in 2012, consisting of $12.5 million of required contributions under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act ("ERISA") and $3.4 million to non-qualified plans. USEC has contributed $11.2 million in the six months ended June 30, 2012. These expected contribution amounts reflect the recently enacted Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) which reduced the required contributions under ERISA in 2012 by an estimated $10.7 million.
 
There is no required contribution for the postretirement health and life benefit plans under ERISA and USEC expects to contribute $1.4 million later in 2012. Certain contributions to the plans are recoverable under USEC's contracts with DOE. USEC receives federal subsidy payments for sponsoring prescription drug benefits that are at least actuarially equivalent to Medicare Part D.
 
Prior to the start of 2012, a significant portion of the costs related to pension and postretirement health and life benefit plans were attributed to Portsmouth contract services, based on the employee base performing contract services work. Starting in 2012, ongoing pension costs related to our former Portsmouth employees are charged to the LEU segment rather than the contract services segment based on our continuing enrichment operations that support our active and retired employees. These net benefit costs totaled $6.6 million for the six months ended June 30, 2012 and are directly charged to cost of sales rather than production.