The lawsuits claim that the USPS made a mistake in replacing its fleet with 90% gasoline-powered trucks and 10% electric vehicles. They also demand a more thorough review of the environmental impact such a move would have.
Despite objections from both the White House & the Environmental Protection Agency Postmaster General Louis DeJoy stated repeatedly that the Postal Service doesn’t have the money to increase the number electric vehicles in its fleet.
“The Postal Service has an historic opportunity to invest in the future and our planet. Instead, it is increasing its reliance on outdated technologies that are detrimental to our environment and our communities,” California Attorney-General Rob Bonta said in Thursday’s statement.
“Once this purchase is complete, we’ll have more than 100,000 new gas-guzzling cars on our streets serving homes across the state for the next 30+ years. There won’t exist a reset button.
Adrian Martinez, an Earthjustice attorney who is part of the “Right to Zero” campaign, expressed similar concern. “We’re going before the court to protect millions of Americans who live in areas overburdened by tailpipe pollution. He said that electric mail delivery is essential for our health as well as our future.
Kim Frum, spokesperson at the Postal Service, told CNN Thursday that the agency had completed a “rigorous” review before moving forward with its vehicle plan. Additional funding may allow for more electric vehicles.
“The Postal Service is committed to electric vehicles as a significant component of our delivery fleet, even though the investment will be more expensive than an internal combustion engine vehicle. Frum stated that we must make prudent financial decisions when introducing a new vehicle fleet. “We will continue to search for opportunities to electrify our delivery fleet in responsible manner consistent with our operating strategy, deployment of appropriate infrastructure and our financial condition, which we expect will improve as we pursue this plan.”
