Larisa Manescu, larisa.manescu@sierraclub.org
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Sierra Club and Elders Climate Action (ECA) sued the Postal Service for its failure to produce documents in response to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for records related to the Oshkosh contract for the production of up to 165,000 mail delivery vehicles. Sierra Club and ECA seek a court order requiring USPS to release any improperly withheld records without further delay.
“These trucks will impact the local air quality and climate-warming greenhouse gas emissions in almost every neighborhood across America,” said Elena Saxonhouse, Managing Attorney with the Sierra Club. “The USPS has a duty to be fully transparent about the Oshkosh contract and make the public aware why they’ve chosen to double down on a new fleet that’s made of majority polluting fossil fuel trucks.”
Background: The Oshkosh contract is highly controversial for its unjustified reliance on fossil fuel-powered trucks and has drawn strong criticism from the general public, the White House, the EPA, members of Congress, environmental groups, and unions as a major assault on the administration’s climate goals and the air quality of communities across the nation.
Sierra Club and Elders Climate Action filed a FOIA request more than a year ago for records surrounding the Oshkosh contract, and still await any response at all on some portions of the request. The USPS refuses to release documents responsive to other portions of the request, like Oshkosh’s original proposal.
In April, 16 states and many environmental groups, including the Sierra Club, filed lawsuits against USPS challenging the decision to move forward with a delivery fleet made up of a majority of gas-powered vehicles. Last week, as a result of public pressure, the USPS announced it would consider increasing the percentage of electric trucks procured over the next few years from 10 percent to at least 40 percent, which is still insufficient.
The USPS must reach 100 percent electrification in order to slash climate emissions, protect public health, and ensure the federal government’s fleet is fully electric in five years per President Biden’s executive order. The public comment period for the Postal Service’s fleet plan is August 15, and the public hearing date is August 8.
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.