The Battle To Keep Wyoming Mail Distribution Centers

Wyoming's senators joined a group totalling 26 U.S. senators from 17 states are urging leaders of the U.S. Postal Service to delay closing some rural distribution centers.

“We call on you to pause planned changes to the U.S. Postal Service’s processing and delivery network under the ‘Delivering for America’ plan, until you request and receive a comprehensive Advisory Opinion from the Postal Regulatory Commission to fully study the potential impacts of these changes,” said the letter signed by the Senators and addressed to Postmaster General.

It's not just Casper and Cheyenne Wyoming. Reno Nevada will be downsized from a regional hub to a local center and its regional operations moved to Sacramento, Calif.

“We call on USPS to pause all changes, pending a full study of this plan by its regulator,” the letter stated. “While USPS claims these changes overall will improve service while reducing costs, there is evidence to the contrary in locations where USPS has implemented changes so far. USPS must stop implementation, restore service in those areas where changes were implemented, and fully understand the nationwide effects of its plan on service and communities.”

“Delivering For America,” is a 60-page, 10-year plan published by USPS.

The USPS lost $87 billion during the last 14 years.

“The Plan’s strategic initiatives are designed to reverse a projected $160 billion in losses over the next ten years by achieving break-even operating performance,” according to the USPS.

 

The postal service claims that they're trying to be more efficient.

“Our processing network was originally designed to meet the demands of a robust, and ever-growing mail market,” the plan stated.

“Similarly, our facilities were located geographically and set up operationally to facilitate the timely and efficient processing of mail. As mail volume has decreased, our machines and facilities have been left under-utilized, leaving us with a physical network infrastructure that does not correspond to the current and projected needs of our customers.”

Senators signing on to the letter include states like Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, Maine, Michigan, Montana, Mississippi, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

“We are concerned about the impacts these changes have had so far, and the potential impacts that further changes could have,” the senators wrote. “In regions where USPS has implemented significant changes, on-time mail delivery has declined. In addition, it is not clear these changes will improve efficiency or costs. Despite these concerns, USPS has moved forward with announcing and approving additional facility changes across the country.”