(AP) The U.S. The U.S. Postal Service announced Wednesday that it has cleared the last regulatory hurdle for placing orders for next-generation postal vehicles and getting some of them on delivery routes next Year, despite opposition from the Environmental Protection Agency.
Louis DeJoy, Postmaster General, said that the completion of the National Environmental Policy Act’s evaluation is an important milestone for postal carrier who have continued to work with overworked trucks that were in service from 1987 to 1994.
The U.S. The U.S. Postal Services fleet consists of more than 230,000 vehicles. This includes 190,000. Local delivery vehicles that are scheduled to be replaced.
The men and women of America are proud to be Americans. DeJoy released a statement saying that the Postal Service had waited too long for safer, cleaner vehicles.
Environmental groups opposed the plan because only 10% would be electric-powered under the contract between the Postal Service and the manufacturer, Wisconsin-based Oshkosh Defence.
Kim Frum, spokesperson for the Postal Service, stated that the Federal Register decision allows the Postal Service the right to place the first order. This will include at least 5k electric-powered vehicles and an undetermined number gas-powered vehicles.
Despite criticism from the Environmental Protection Agency about the quality of the environmental review, the Postal Service believes it has fulfilled all its obligations.
Vicki Arroyo from the EPAs assistant administrator for policy stated Wednesday that a fundamentally flawed environmental assessment was conducted by the Postal Service one year ago after the signing of the contract to procure these vehicle. This analysis underestimates the costs of gasoline-powered vehicles and exaggerates the costs associated electric vehicles.
Brenda Mallory was the chair of the White Houses Council on Environmental Quality. She criticized the Postal Service for being out-of-touch with technology and placing it at a disadvantage to its competitors.
Environmental groups joined the criticism.
The U.S. leaders will not be stopped by rain, sleet or financial good judgement. Patricio Portillo, of the Natural Resources Defense Council, stated Wednesday that the Postal Service was trying to buy polluting delivery trucks.
DeJoy is a close ally to former President Donald Trump and said that more electric cars can be purchased under this contract if additional funding becomes available from either congressional or internal sources.
To convert all the Postal Service vehicles to electric, it would cost $3.3 billion more. Biden’s Build Back Better plan includes money, but the proposal is still stalled in Congress.
The new vehicles are more sustainable and have modern safety features, such as climate control and backup cameras.
Postal carriers will find it easier to grab parcels and packages that have been making up a larger portion of their deliveries even before the pandemic.
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Sharp reported from Portland Maine. This report was co-authored by Matthew Daly, Washington Associated Press writer.