PENSION PLANS AND OTHER POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS

Components of net periodic benefit cost (benefit) included in net income (loss) are as follows:



	Pension Benefits												Other Benefits
	Three months ended June 30,						Six months ended June 30,						Three months ended June 30,						Six months ended June 30,
(in thousands)	2019			2018			2019			2018			2019			2018			2019			2018
Interest cost	$	10,965		$	9,741		$	21,822		$	19,498		$	119		$	95		$	239		$	192
Expected return on plan assets	(13,905		)	(16,215		)	(27,799		)	(32,445		)	—			—			—			—
Amortization of prior service cost	27			25			55			50			(539		)	(188		)	(1,078		)	(834		)
Recognized net actuarial loss (gain)	862			(544		)	1,260			(544		)	—			—			—			—
Benefit plans, net⁽¹⁾	(2,051		)	(6,993		)	(4,662		)	(13,441		)	(420		)	(93		)	(839		)	(642		)
Service cost included in COS⁽²⁾	150			187			300			376			4			4			8			8
Net periodic benefit (benefit) cost	$	(1,901	)	$	(6,806	)	$	(4,362	)	$	(13,065	)	$	(416	)	$	(89	)	$	(831	)	$	(634	)


⁽¹⁾	Benefit plans, net, which is presented separately in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations, is not allocated to the segments.


⁽²⁾	Service cost related to a small group of active participants is presented within cost of sales in the Condensed Consolidated Statement of Operations and is allocated to the Babcock & Wilcox segment.

Settlements are triggered in a plan when the distributions exceed the sum of the service cost and interest cost of the respective plan. Lump sum payments from our Canadian Plans resulted in plan settlements during the first and second quarters of 2019. The settlements themselves were not material, but they triggered interim MTM remeasurements of the Canadian Plan's assets and liabilities that were losses of $0.9 million and $1.3 million in the three and six months ended June 30, 2019, respectively. Both the settlements and the MTM remeasurements are reflected in the Recognized net actuarial loss (gain) in the table above and are included in our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations in the Benefit plans, net line item.

During the second quarter of 2018, lump sum payments from our Canadian pension plan resulted in a plan settlement gain of $0.1 million, which also resulted in interim mark to market accounting for the pension plan. The mark to market adjustment in the second quarter of 2018 was a gain of $0.4 million. The effect of these charges and mark to market adjustments are reflected in the Recognized net actuarial loss (gain) in the table above. The recognized net actuarial (gain) loss was recorded in our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations in the Benefit plans, net line item. There were no lump sum payments from our Canadian pension plan during the first quarter of 2018.

We made contributions to our pension and other postretirement benefit plans totaling $1.4 million and $2.8 million during the three and six months ended June 30, 2019, respectively, as compared to $4.7 million and $8.5 million during the three and six months ended June 30, 2018, respectively. Expected employer contributions to the U.S. Pension Plan assume that relief is granted under pension contribution waivers that were filed with the IRS in January 2019 and are planned to be re-filed with the IRS later in 2019 or early in 2020, which would defer minimum pension contributions for approximately one year to then be repaid over a five-year period. If the temporary hardship waivers are not fully granted, required employer contributions in 2019 could increase up to approximately $15 million in 2019 and a similar or greater amount in 2020, each plus interest and, if assessed, penalties.