has said it will make the Next Generation
Delivery Vehicles at a reconfigured warehouse in
South Carolina, creating 1,000 new jobs.
The Postal Service said last month that it
believes it has met all its obligations and is
moving forward despite widespread criticism.
The agency “carefully reviewed and
incorporated feedback” from EPA and the
White House regarding the new contract and
believes “there is no legal or other basis to
delay the (vehicle-replacement) program, said
spokeswoman Kim Frum.
The new contract will deliver 5,000 electric
vehicles beginning in 2023 and “provides
significant environmental benefits through the
introduction of safer and more environmentally
friendly vehicles, Frum said. Flexibility built into
the contract allows for more electric vehicles
“should additional funding become available,
she added.
In their letter, lawmakers cited a host of
concerns raised by EPA, including allegations
that the contract was awarded before the
environmental review was completed, and that
the Postal Service omitted important data on
climate change and other issues in completing
the review.
The USPS review “underestimates greenhouse
gas emissions” of the new fleet, “fails to consider
more environmentally protective feasible
alternatives and inadequately considers impacts
on communities with environmental justice
concerns, the EPA said in a Feb. 2 letter.
The EPA called the proposal “a crucial lost
opportunity to more rapidly reduce the carbon