Retirement Plan And Other Post-Retirement Benefits (Tables)

3 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Retirement Plan And Other Post-Retirement Benefits [Abstract]

Components Of Net Periodic Benefit Cost

Three months ended December 31,	Retirement Plan		Other Post-Retirement Benefits
	2011	2010	2011	2010
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)	(1,802)	(1,793)	2,132	1,921
Net Periodic Benefit Cost	$7,176	$6,658	$6,705	$6,826

⁽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 reflect the fact that the Utility segment experiences higher throughput of natural gas in the winter months and lowerthroughput of natural gas in the summer months.