WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell and Representative Andy Barr met with Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe today to discuss the Postal Service’s accelerated closure of the Lexington Area Mail Processing Plant. 

In late March, the United States Postal Service announced its plan to move up the closure of the facility, originally scheduled for 2014 to later this year. The Lexington AMP employs approximately 100 Kentuckians and serves numerous counties in Central Kentucky. In the past three years, the Postal Service has closed Area Mail Processing Plants in Bowling Green, Hazard, London, Somerset, Ashland, Elizabethtown, Campton and Pikeville.

“Congressman Barr and I are concerned with the accelerated closure of the Nandino Boulevard plant in Lexington and the impact it will have on delivery service in Central Kentucky and across the Commonwealth,” Senator McConnell said. “I invited the Postmaster General to my office for the meeting to discuss what appears to be a trend of moving these processing plants from Kentucky to other states, which suggests a disproportionate impact on the people of Kentucky. I have heard from many constituents on this matter and they deserve answers. The Postmaster General told us that he seeks to avoid any actions that would negatively affect delivery schedules for Kentucky customers.”

"I appreciate Postmaster General Donahoe taking the time to meet with us to outline the Postal Service’s decision making process behind the accelerated closing of the processing facility,” Representative Barr said. “I communicated my serious concerns about this decision in light of the growth of the central Kentucky region.  However, I sought and received assurances from Postmaster General Donahoe that this decision will not in any way negatively impact quality of service or mail delivery times, and that the Nandino location will remain open as a post office.  I appreciate that commitment and will continue to monitor their progress in this regard.” 

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Senator McConnell and Congressman Barr meet with Postmaster General Donahoe in McConnell’s Washington DC office regarding the closure of the Lexington Area Mail Processing Plant (Tuesday, April 16, 2013)