EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS

3 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

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						Three Months Ended
	December 31,						December 31,
(Thousands)	2016			2015			2016			2015
Service cost	$	2,087		$	1,898		$	1,095		$	1,130
Interest cost	2,443			2,836			1,386			1,564
Expected return on plan assets	(4,828		)	(5,029		)	(1,192		)	(1,211		)
Recognized actuarial loss	2,207			1,820			1,093			819
Prior service cost amortization	27			28			(91		)	(91		)
Net periodic benefit cost	$	1,936		$	1,553		$	2,291		$	2,211

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 three months endedDecember 31, 2016.