An audit conducted by the Postal Service’s inspector general found serious incidents at a new regional processing facility in Virginia, including water-damaged mail left unprocessed for months and workers falling asleep on forklifts. A problem was found.
The audit, dated March 28, casts doubt on the Postal Service’s plans to modernize its processing network. The Richmond facility that was the focus of the audit is the first of 60 regional processing centers the USPS plans to streamline across the country. Improve operations and increase efficiency.
But the audit found that problems at the Richmond Center, which opened in July, contributed to declining on-time service, and Virginia now ranks among the worst in the nation. The inspector general said only 66% of first-class mail was delivered within two days this fiscal year, compared to the national average of 87%. Nowhere else in the U.S. did it fall below 80%, according to the Office of the Inspector General.
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The Postal Service estimates the $23 million facility will save $15 million a year by consolidating operations. However, an audit revealed that working hours and overtime had actually increased since the center opened.
“At this time, it is unclear whether the Postal Service will realize the expected savings associated with the consolidation of operations into the Richmond Regional Processing Center,” the audit concluded.
A worker pulls a cart at a U.S. Postal Service processing and distribution center in Dulles, Virginia, on Dec. 14, 2023. Another facility in Richmond is the first of 60 more processing centers planned for the region, but the future of the initiative is uncertain after an audit found clear problems. (Valerie Plesch/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Auditors also found that “mail was left on or around the machines, large quantities of machinable mail were left in the manual process, and in one case, mail older than two months was left unattended by the truck.” It said it found “common attention to detail, such as items being left unattended in containers in the yard.” They also observed a mail carrier sleeping on top of a parked forklift.
Postal Service officials responded to the audit and said they agree with most of the inspector general’s 10 specific recommendations for improvement.
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“We have undertaken extensive efforts to thoroughly address these challenges and issues at Richmond, which has led to continued performance improvement,” officials said in their formal response to the audit. Ta.
Virginia’s two U.S. senators, Democrats Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, are joined by Representatives Jennifer McClellan (Va.), Bobby Scott (Va.), and Rob Wittman (Va.). (Virginia) and U.S. Representative Abigail Spanberger (Democratic) released a joint statement. Bob Goode, R-Virginia, and Jen Quiggans, R-Virginia, called on the USPS to address the problems identified in the report.
“It could not be clearer that the USPS is not providing reliable service to Virginians, and we have been demanding answers. “We pinpoint a number of problems, including a lack of coordination in the distribution center (RPDC),” the lawmakers said. “The USPS needs to provide more resources and clearer guidance to RPDC management and staff.”
