Biden Administration Tells Postal Service To Reconsider Short-Sighted Plan to Purchase Polluting Fleet of Postal Trucks, Citing Climate Damage

WASHINGTON, DC - On the heels of advocacy from environmental groups and California air quality regulators, the Washington Post reported that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) sent letters to the Postal Service today urging the agency to reconsider its plans to buy 90 percent gas-powered vehicles in its next vehicle purchase and to conduct a new, more thorough technical analysis. The EPA also asked the Postal Service to hold a public hearing on its fleet modernization plans.

USPS operates about 230,000 vehicles, which is roughly one third of the entire government fleet. Postal delivery trucks are the perfect use case for electric vehicles, and the benefits are wide-reaching. They don’t travel far distances on any given day, they sit idle overnight when they can charge, and they travel through neighborhoods across the country exposing people to air pollution. 

In response to today’s announcement, Katherine García, Sierra Club’s Clean Transportation for All Director, released the following statement:

“We are grateful the Biden administration is taking action to correct this short-sighted decision, a necessary move in order for the administration to achieve its own climate goals.”

“Shifting to a 100% electric Postal Service is a no-brainer. Electric mail trucks will reduce noise, air, and climate pollution in communities across the nation, while slashing fueling costs. There’s no reason USPS should be locking in decades of fossil fuel consumption by considering a fleet of 90 percent gas-powered trucks. It’s past time to fully electrify the Postal Service!”