Postal Service To Study Mail Processing Operations In San Bernardino

San Bernardino, CA, September 15, 2011, noon – The U.S. Postal Service plans to conduct a study at the San Bernardino Processing and Distribution Center to examine the feasibility of consolidating its operations into the Moreno Valley Delivery and Distribution Center. The study involves a review of mail processing and transportation operations to determine capacity needs within the postal network in order to increase efficiency and improve productivity. The study should be completed early next year and comes as the Postal Service faces one of the most difficult challenges in its history. Annual mail volume has declined by more than 43 billion pieces in the past 5 years and the decline continues. Even when the economy fully recovers, the Postal Service does not expect mail volume to return to previous peak levels, and is projecting annual deficits for the foreseeable future. Because the decline has created substantial excess mail processing capacity, the Postal Service is initiating studies to look at reducing the size of its mail processing network nationwide. If the feasibility study reveals an opportunity to consolidate mail processing operations, the Postal Service will hold a public meeting to explain the proposed operational changes and potential impacts on service, and to solicit public feedback which will then be considered before a final decision is made.