Blunt: Postal consolidation 'a big issue in our state'

A day after he joined a group of U.S. senators in sending a letter to the postmaster general, U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt said he believes more time and consideration are needed before the U.S. Postal Service moves forward with its consolidation plan for mail processing facilities.

Both Missouri senators -- Blunt, a Republican, and U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill, a Democrat -- were among 28 senators who sent the letter alleging the postal service is not following its own guidelines for evaluating service standards and considering issues for local customers. The argument is based on a report issued by the office of the USPS inspector general, which found the postal service did not complete service standard impact evaluations and work sheets as part of area mail processing feasibility studies.

The postal service's planned consolidations of up to 82 mail processing centers across the country will affect two Missouri facilities, including one in Cape Girardeau. The second phase of the facility's consolidation, with processing operations moving to St. Louis, is scheduled for April.

Blunt said in a Tuesday conference call with reporters that he believes more review is in order before the consolidation plan continues.

"[In the letter] we asked them to look more carefully at their consolidation plans and delay what they were doing until we think they've had a better look at the impact this would have," he said. "To a great extent, consolidating ... can have the impact -- particularly in our state -- of just overwhelming the facility you move to, rather than streamlining how you do the work."

Southeast Missouri State s J.J. Thompson, center, is fouled by Missouri s Ryan Rosburg, right, as Keith Shamburger, left, moves in during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2014, in Columbia, Mo. (AP Photo/L.G. Patterson)

Locally, employees of the Richard G. Wilson Processing and Distribution Facility in Cape Girardeau have expressed similar concerns that mail service could suffer a slowdown once the St. Louis facility absorbs the remainder of the processing responsibilities. A spokesperson for the postal service recently said there are no delays in mail coming through the Cape Girardeau facility.

The senator also said as of Tuesday afternoon, he had not received any response to the letter. Blunt said he looked forward to receiving a response and called the matter "a big issue in our state."

"It's an issue Sen. McCaskill and I have been involved in for quite a while and we want to be sure when the post office makes that decision, they have done that based on all the facts, not just part of the facts," he said.

srinehart@semissourian.com

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