Retirement Plan And Other Post-Retirement Benefits

9 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2012

Retirement Plan And Other Post-Retirement Benefits [Abstract]

Retirement Plan And Other Post-Retirement Benefits

Note 8 – Retirement Plan and Other Post-Retirement Benefits

Components of Net Periodic Benefit Cost (in thousands):

Three months ended June 30,
	Retirement Plan		Other Post-Retirement Benefits
	2012	2011	2012	2011
Service Cost	$3,551	$3,693	$1,004	$1,069
Interest Cost	10,381	10,669	5,329	5,471
Expected Return on Plan Assets	(14,925)	(14,776)	(7,243)	(7,291)
Amortization of Prior Service Cost	67	147	(534)	(427)
Amortization of Transition Amount	-	-	3	135
Amortization of Losses	9,904	8,718	6,014	5,948
Net Amortization and Deferral for
Regulatory Purposes (Including
Volumetric Adjustments) (1)	(2,252)	(2,346)	718	1,602
	$6,726	$6,105	$5,291	$6,507

Nine months ended June 30,
	Retirement Plan		Other Post-Retirement Benefits
	2012	2011	2012	2011
Service Cost	$10,652	$11,079	$3,012	$3,207
Interest Cost	31,144	32,007	15,986	16,413
Expected Return on Plan Assets	(44,776)	(44,328)	(21,728)	(21,873)
Amortization of Prior Service Cost	202	441	(1,604)	(1,282)
Amortization of Transition Amount	-	-	8	405
Amortization of Losses	29,711	26,155	18,043	17,845
Net Amortization and Deferral for
Regulatory Purposes (Including
Volumetric Adjustments) (1)	(1,896)	(584)	7,993	9,564
Net Periodic Benefit Cost	$25,037	$24,770	$21,710	$24,279

⁽¹⁾The Company’s policy is to record retirement plan and other post-retirement benefit costs in the Utility segment on a volumetric

basis to reflectthe fact thatthe Utility segmentexperiences higherthroughput ofnatural gas in the winter months and lower

throughput of natural gas in the summer months.

Employer Contributions.During the nine months ended June 30, 2012, the Company contributed $31.8 million to its tax-qualified, noncontributory defined-benefit retirement plan (Retirement Plan) and $18.9 million to its VEBA trusts and 401(h) accounts for its other post-retirement benefits. In the remainder of 2012, the Company expects to contribute $12.2 million to the Retirement Plan.Changes in the discount rate, other actuarial assumptions, and asset performance could ultimately cause the Company to fund larger amounts to the Retirement Plan in fiscal 2012 in order to be in compliance with the Pension Protection Act of 2006.In the remainder of 2012, the Company expects to contribute between $2.0 million and $3.0 million to its VEBA trusts and 401(h) accounts.

In July 2012, the Surface Transportation Extension Act, which is also referred to as the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21^st Century Act (the Act), was passed by Congress and signed by the President.The Act included pension funding stabilization provisions.The Company is currently in the process of evaluating the provisions of the Act.