Golden presses Postmaster General DeJoy for answers on future of mail service in 2nd Congressional District
Congressman fighting to ensure Mainers suffer no deterioration of service and blasts USPS head for lack of transparency and communication
WASHINGTON — Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02) today sent a letter to USPS Postmaster General Louis DeJoy seeking assurances that the agency’s plans for the Eastern Maine Processing & Distribution Center in Hampden will not result in delayed mail delivery, job losses, or decline in customer service.
“The operations and staffing of this facility are a major concern for my constituents. It serves not only a huge swath of Maine’s 2nd Congressional District, but a large part of the entire state of Maine,” Golden wrote in the letter. “I remain skeptical — in part because of the lack of communication and transparency from the USPS — that the final outcome of the [process] currently underway will not have a detrimental effect on Mainers.”
Earlier this month, the USPS announced its recommendations that the Eastern Maine facility be converted to a Local Processing Center, with some mail processing operations being permanently moved to the Southern Maine P&DC in Scarborough.
While the USPS has claimed delivery times will not be affected by this change, recent history makes the claim hard to believe. In early 2023, mail processing operations in Hampden were temporarily shifted to Scarborough, with residents of Eastern, Northern, and Western Maine seeing significant delays as a result. Golden is pressing for assurances from DeJoy that the change will not once again leave Mainers with longer delivery times. The agency’s credibility is further diminished by its recent handling of the post office re-opening in Etna, which was delayed months without explanation, and the ongoing delays in re-opening the post office in West Paris.
“Timely delivery of mail is critical for the 2nd Congressional District, particularly for Mainers who rely on the mail to receive needed medications and the entrepreneurs, farmers, and small businesses whose livelihoods are affected by delays,” Golden wrote.
The letter follows an earlier correspondence Golden sent to DeJoy in December, which was never answered — reflecting a pattern decried by USPS workers and residents who have said the Postal Service’s review process has been needlessly opaque, with simple questions left unanswered.
In addition to seeking word that delivery times will not be affected by changes to the operation in Hampden, Golden noted the concerns of postal workers that their jobs would be relocated — a change that could uproot families and affect customer service.
Golden is urging residents to attend a public hearing on the USPS’ plans for the facility, scheduled for 4 p.m. Friday, February 2, at Jeff’s Event Center, 15 Event Center Way, Brewer.
Click here for a copy of the letter.
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Contact: Mario Moretto | 202-748-0282