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EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS
 9 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 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
Nine Months Ended
Three Months Ended
Nine Months Ended
 
June 30,
June 30,
June 30,
June 30,
(Thousands)
2017
2016
2017
2016
2017
2016
2017
2016
Service cost
$
2,086

$
1,897

$
6,260

$
5,693

$
1,095

$
1,130

$
3,285

$
3,391

Interest cost
2,443

2,836

7,328

8,507

1,386

1,564

4,159

4,692

Expected return on plan assets
(4,829
)
(5,029
)
(14,485
)
(15,088
)
(1,192
)
(1,211
)
(3,575
)
(3,633
)
Recognized actuarial loss
2,207

1,820

6,620

5,461

1,093

819

3,278

2,456

Prior service cost amortization
28

28

83

83

(91
)
(91
)
(273
)
(273
)
Net periodic benefit cost
$
1,935

$
1,552

$
5,806

$
4,656

$
2,291

$
2,211

$
6,874

$
6,633



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 nine months ended June 30, 2017.