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EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS
 6 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2017
Compensation and Retirement Disclosure [Abstract]  
EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS
EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS

Pension and Other Postemployment Benefit Plans

The components of the net periodic cost for pension benefits, including the Company's Pension Equalization Plan, and OPEB costs (principally health care and life insurance) for employees and covered dependents were as follows:
 
Pension
OPEB
 
Three Months Ended
Six Months Ended
Three Months Ended
Six Months Ended
 
March 31,
March 31,
March 31,
March 31,
(Thousands)
2017
2016
2017
2016
2017
2016
2017
2016
Service cost
$
2,087

$
1,898

$
4,174

$
3,796

$
1,095

$
1,131

$
2,190

$
2,261

Interest cost
2,442

2,835

4,885

5,671

1,387

1,564

2,773

3,128

Expected return on plan assets
(4,828
)
(5,030
)
(9,656
)
(10,059
)
(1,191
)
(1,211
)
(2,383
)
(2,422
)
Recognized actuarial loss
2,206

1,821

4,413

3,641

1,092

818

2,185

1,637

Prior service cost amortization
28

27

55

55

(91
)
(91
)
(182
)
(182
)
Net periodic benefit cost
$
1,935

$
1,551

$
3,871

$
3,104

$
2,292

$
2,211

$
4,583

$
4,422



The Company made a discretionary contribution of $30 million during the first quarter of fiscal 2016, to improve the funded status of the pension plans based on then current actuarial assumptions, which included the adoption of the most recent mortality table. The Company does not expect to be required to make additional contributions to fund the pension plans during fiscal 2017 or 2018 based on current actuarial assumptions; however, funding requirements are uncertain and can depend significantly on changes in actuarial assumptions, returns on plan assets and changes in the demographics of eligible employees and covered dependents. In addition, as in the past, the Company may elect to make contributions in excess of the minimum required amount to the plans. There were no discretionary contributions made during the six months ended March 31, 2017.