“Louis DeJoy’s gas-guzzling fleet guarantees
decades of pollution with every postcard and
package,” said Scott Hochberg, an attorney with
the Center for Biological Diversity, referring to
the postmaster general.
One lawsuit was filed by Earthjustice, Center for
Biological Diversity, CleanAirNow KC and Sierra
Club in San Francisco. Another was filed by the
Natural Resources Defense Council and United
Auto Workers in New York.
Both target the environmental review
underpinning the planned purchase of up to
165,000 next-generation delivery vehicles over
the next decade.
The Postal Service defended its actions.
“The Postal Service conducted a robust and
thorough review and fully complied with
all of our obligations under (the National
Environmental Policy Act),” spokesperson Kim
Frum said in an email.
The Postal Service contract calls for 10% of
the new vehicles to be electric but the Postal
Service contends more electric vehicles can
be purchased based on financial outlook and
strategic considerations.
The percentage of battery-electric vehicles was
doubled — to 20% — in the initial $2.98 billion
order for 50,000 vehicles.
Environmental advocates contend the Postal
Service’s environmental review was inadequate
and flawed, and that the contract represented
a missed opportunity to electrify the fleet and
reduce emissions.
The review process “was so rickety and riddled
with error that it failed to meet the basic