Note 10: Benefit Plans

We sponsor three funded, noncontributory defined benefit pension plans. These plans cover substantially all employees hired prior to July 2007, other than those covered by union-administered plans. Normal retirement age is 65, but the plans contain provisions for earlier retirement. Benefits for the Salaried Plan and the Chemicals Hourly Plan are generally based on salaries or wages and years of service; the Construction Materials Hourly Plan provides benefits equal to a flat dollar amount for each year of service. In addition to these qualified plans, we sponsor three unfunded, nonqualified pension plans.

Effective July 2007, we amended our defined benefit pension plans to no longer accept new participants. In December 2013, we amended our defined benefit pension plans so that future service accruals for salaried pension participants ceased effective December 31, 2013. This change included a special transition provision which allowed covered compensation through December 31, 2015 to be considered in the participants’ benefit calculations.

The following table sets forth the components of net periodic pension benefit cost:



PENSION BENEFITS	Three Months Ended
	March 31
in thousands	2016	2015
Components of Net Periodic Benefit Cost
Service cost	$ 1,336	$ 1,213
Interest cost	9,126	11,037
Expected return on plan assets	(12,891)	(13,684)
Amortization of prior service cost (credit)	(11)	12
Amortization of actuarial loss	1,541	5,454
Net periodic pension benefit cost (credit)	$ (899)	$ 4,032
Pretax reclassifications from AOCI included in
net periodic pension benefit cost	$ 1,530	$ 5,466

Prior contributions, along with the existing funding credits, are expected to be sufficient to cover required contributions to the qualified plans through 2017.

In addition to pension benefits, we provide certain healthcare and life insurance benefits for some retired employees. In 2012, we amended our postretirement healthcare plan to cap our portion of the medical coverage cost at the 2015 level. Substantially all of our salaried employees and, where applicable, certain of our hourly employees may become eligible for these benefits if they reach a qualifying age and meet certain service requirements. Generally, Company-provided healthcare benefits terminate when covered individuals become eligible for Medicare benefits, become eligible for other group insurance coverage or reach age 65, whichever occurs first.

The following table sets forth the components of net periodic postretirement benefit cost:



OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS	Three Months Ended
	March 31
in thousands	2016	2015
Components of Net Periodic Benefit Cost
Service cost	$ 281	$ 473
Interest cost	302	617
Amortization of prior service credit	(1,059)	(1,058)
Amortization of actuarial gain	(438)	(4)
Net periodic postretirement benefit cost (credit)	$ (914)	$ 28
Pretax reclassifications from AOCI included in
net periodic postretirement benefit credit	$ (1,497)	$ (1,062)