(Sioux City JOurnal) U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin on Wednesday announced he had included a provision in a transportation appropriations bill that would halt the U.S. Postal Service from consolidating mail processing facilities, including Sioux City’s, until a government oversight entity completes a follow-up report.

The Government Accountability Office is undertaking a follow-up to the 2005 USPS feasibility study to consolidate the Sioux City mail processing facilities elsewhere, most likely Sioux Falls.

Expressing strong concern about the way USPS is proceeding in mulling consolidations of 51 mail facilities nationwide, Harkin secured the provision in the transportation bill Wednesday. It is not binding law that the consolidations cannot not take place until the GAO finishes the studies, but it is the recommendation of the Senate Appropriations Committee. Harkin said such recommendations are generally followed by federal agencies like the postal service.

The GAO study is expected to be done in early 2007. Sioux City Journal

HARKIN SECURES PROVISION IN APPROPRIATIONS BILL TO STOP SIOUX CITY POSTAL CENTER CONSOLIDATION UNTIL GAO STUDY IS COMPLETE

(Press Release) – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) today announced that he has successfully included a provision in the Transportation, Treasury, Housing and Urban Development (TTHUD) Appropriations bill that would prevent the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) from consolidating mail processing facilities until the Government Accountability Office (GAO) completes its follow-up report. Senator Harkin had requested this GAO report in response to USPS plans to close the Sioux City Postal Center.

The follow up study is expected to be completed early next year. Sioux City’s mail processing facilities and those in over 50 locations are being reviewed by the Postal Service for consolidation. Sioux City leaders have found that the Postal Service did not thoroughly examine the full costs involved in a consolidation nor the full impacts to a community. As a member of the TTHUD Senate Appropriations Subcommittee, Harkin has expressed strong concerns about the way the Postal Service is proceeding in consolidating mail facilities nationwide. The provision preventing USPS consolidation until the GAO report is complete is not binding law, but it is a recommendation from the Appropriations Committee. Such recommendations are normally followed by federal agencies such as the Postal Service. The TTHUD spending bill must be approved by the full Senate and House before becoming law.

“USPS needs to seriously rethink the way they are moving forward on these consolidations,” Harkin said. “The Postal Service ought to have a better and more complete method for making these decisions. They should be forthcoming with communities targeted for consolidation about how their postal service will be effected and what costs it will impose on the community. Unfortunately, they seem to have relied upon a decision making process that is faulty and needs to be reexamined.”

Also contained in the TTHUD appropriations bill is $500,000 for utility work on I-29 in Sioux City IA. The funding will help assist in financing needed repairs on I-29 near Sioux City.