Legislators Argue Facility is Key to Southwest Arkansas’s Mail Service
December 10, 2010
Washington – Today, U.S. Senators Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor and U.S. Congressman Mike Ross (AR-04) urged the United States Postal Service (USPS) to keep its Texarkana Processing and Distribution Facility open. The USPS is considering closing the facility and sending mail from Texarkana to Shreveport for processing. The USPS has completed its Area Mail Processing (AMP) feasibility study for the Texarkana facility and will now consider input from the public.
“Moving the mail processing operations in Texarkana to Shreveport would remove high quality jobs from the city and would hamper timely mail service in the region,” Lincoln said. “I have heard the concerns of Arkansans and strongly urge the U.S. Postal Service to keep the Texarkana facility in operation. I will continue to work with Mayor Shipp, the postal workers at the processing and distribution center, and the rest of the Arkansas delegation to see that these jobs stay in Texarkana to ensure quality mail service for the individuals and businesses in our state.”
“The Texarkana facility provides critical services to residents as well as high-quality jobs,” Pryor said. “I will continue to work with the Texarkana community to ensure the benefits of keeping this facility in Texarkana, as well as our other post office facilities across the state, are heard throughout the Postal Service’s decision-making process.”
“Closing this facility will not only affect the jobs of many people, but it will also potentially delay or adversely alter mail service for southwestern Arkansas,” said Ross. “My office has been in contact with the Postal Service and with Mayor Shipp and this is an issue I will actively oppose throughout its process. I firmly believe the Postal Service will not be able to make an adequate case to close this facility because of its key role in the region’s mail service. If this facility is closed, it will affect more than 60 towns as far north as Dierks and as far east as Stamps and it could affect first class overnight service for southwestern Arkansas, possibly hurting many businesses and individuals who depend on this service.”
Lincoln, Pryor and Ross encouraged those interested in this issue to attend the Postal Service’s upcoming public meeting. The USPS will hold a public input meeting on its feasibility study for the Texarkana facility on Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2010, at Texarkana College, Levi Hall, 2500 North Robinson Road, Texarkana, Tex., from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. The public is invited to attend. The USPS will also accept any public comment on the study up to 15 days after the meeting. Comments can be mailed to: Consumer Affairs Manager, Dallas District, 951 West Bethel Road, Coppell, TX 75099-9631.