Rounds, Thune and Johnson Urge Postmaster General to Keep Huron USPS Processing Facility

WASHINGTON – Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) led a letter with Senator John Thune (R-S.D.) and U.S. Representative Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) to the United States Postal Service (USPS) Postmaster General Louis DeJoy urging the Postal Service to avoid downsizing or significantly reorganizing mail processing operations in South Dakota.

As part of its Delivering for America plan, the USPS is reviewing every processing and distribution center in the nation in order to offset deficits by reducing services at a portion of them and eliminating some others. The Dakota Central processing and distribution center in Huron was among the first to be reviewed. The initial findings supported a move of all non-local mail processing from the Huron facility to Fargo, North Dakota. In February 2024, USPS finalized that decision, without taking into account local concerns.

In 2012, the USPS closed Customer Service Mail Processing Centers in Aberdeen, Mobridge and Pierre. Currently, the only USPS processing facilities in South Dakota are in Huron, Rapid City and Sioux Falls. The USPS also did an initial review of the Sioux Falls processing facility and is in the stages of finalizing a move of all non-local processing to Omaha, Nebraska.

“We share your belief that all Americans deserve the U.S. Postal Service's highest service standards,” the delegation wrote. “We also recognize that some infrastructure changes may be necessary to mitigate USPS’s financial pressures. However, such changes should not come at the expense of rural and highly rural populations in South Dakota or similar states.”

“We believe that further curtailment of processing operations in South Dakota could yield additional delays and costs,” the delegation continued. “Specifically, with mail being rerouted out of state, we are concerned that added delays stemming from adverse weather would affect rural towns, other small communities and tribal nations across South Dakota.”

Read the full text of the letter HERE or below.

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We write to share our concerns about the current process for the United States Postal Service's (USPS) Mail Processing Facility Review (MPFR). We believe the potential downsizing or significant reorganization' of mail processing facilities through this process could adversely affect South Dakota.

We share your belief that all Americans deserve the USPS's highest service standards. We also recognize that some infrastructure changes and system modernizations may be necessary to mitigate USPS's financial pressures. However, such changes should not come at the expense of rural and highly rural populations in South Dakota or similar states.

Over the past few decades, rural communities across South Dakota have seen their postal processing facilities consolidated. In 2012, the USPS closed Customer Service Mail Processing Centers in Pierre, Aberdeen, and Mobridge. Decades before, the Government Accountability Office warned that South Dakotans would face delivery delays resulting from similar closures. This would be due to the routing of local mail and packages through more distant processing facilities. We believe that further curtailment of processing operations in South Dakota could yield additional delays and costs not apparent through the MPFR process. Specifically, with mail being rerouted out of state, we are concerned that there could be added delays stemming from adverse weather that would affect rural towns, other small communities and tribal nations across South Dakota. Additionally, there could be added costs owing to the increased expense of transportation to rural customers over greater distances.

We urge you to avoid downsizing or significantly reorganizing mail processing operations in states like South Dakota without considering the particular effects on rural areas. We also remind you of the need to balance any organizational and operational changes with the USPS's unique universal service obligation as broadly outlined in multiple statutes including 39 U.S.C. §101(b), which requires the USPS to provide "a maximum degree of effective and regular postal services to rural areas."

We ask that you respond by May 1, 2024, addressing our concerns. Thank you for your time and attention to our request.

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