The USPS facility review begins modernization process for Lehigh Valley postal network
Review comes after Sen. Casey repeatedly pushed USPS to address mail issues in the Lehigh Valley
Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) applauded the United States Postal Service announcement that it will be conducting a Mail Processing Facility Review (MPFR) of its facility in Lehigh Valley later this month. As part of the MPFR, the Postal Service will share information and solicit public comment on their proposed modernization plans as well as hold a public meeting to determine how to move the Lehigh Valley facility forward.
“For years, I have been hearing from Lehigh Valley residents about delayed or missing mail, and I have repeatedly pushed USPS to prioritize a solution in the region,” said Senator Casey. “This facility review means that finally the Postal Service is taking steps to modernize its Lehigh Valley facility and ensure that going forward, area residents will get their mail on time. Though this is a welcome first step, I will continue to press USPS for changes until all Pennsylvanians are consistently receiving their bills, prescriptions, packages, and other mail without delay.”
Senator Casey has a long record of pushing the Postal Service to remedy mail service issues in the Lehigh Valley. In 2021, following an investigation he conducted finding significant delays in sending mail-order prescriptions during the COVID-19 pandemic, Casey secured an audit of the Lehigh Valley facility after being turned away when he tried to visit months earlier.
In March 2022, Senator Casey worked to pass the Postal Service Reform Act into law. This bipartisan law implemented reforms to improve the accountability, transparency, and sustainability of the Postal Service. In October 2022, Senator Casey sent a letter to the Postmaster General to address systemic problems with mail delivery throughout Pennsylvania, particularly the Germantown Post Office in Philadelphia and the White Haven Post Office in Luzerne County. At the same time, Senator Casey also requested that an audit be conducted by the USPS Office of the Inspector General (OIG) in Philadelphia area post offices to investigate these mail delays. Within a month, USPS OIG responded to Senator Casey’s request by sharing that they would conduct an audit in Southeastern Pennsylvania. This audit found thousands of pieces of mail were delayed and sitting at the post office. Earlier this week, Senator Casey sent a letter to USPS calling on it to fix a payroll disruption causing some rural Pennsylvania mail carriers to miss or only partially receive their September 1 paychecks.
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