So, people in eastern and northern Maine might face delays in getting their mail if the Postal Service decides to close the mail processing spot in Hampden.
Senator Susan Collins is not a fan of this idea. She wants them to stop thinking about combining the operations in Hampden with the one in Scarborough, which is about 130 miles away. She wrote a letter to the Postmaster General, Louis DeJoy, saying that this could mess up mail services and upset folks in Maine.
Collins thinks the Hampden place helps the Postal Service do a good job, and if they close it, Mainers might have to wait longer for their mail. She mentioned that they tried to close it in 2012 but changed their minds.
The senator is worried, especially about people who get their medicine by mail. She says this plan could mess up deliveries from places like the U.S. Department of Veterans’ Affairs. Collins also pointed out that some businesses are close to Hampden, and moving them to Scarborough could be a big problem.
The Postal Service is doing a review this month to see what’s best for the future. They are spending a lot of money to make things better, like $40 billion! But Collins wants to make sure they don’t forget about places like Hampden.
In her letter, Collins talked about how having two places in Maine helps. For example, if you send mail from Fort Kent to Wallagrass, it goes to Hampden, gets processed, and comes back. If they close Hampden, the mail would have to travel much farther to Scarborough and then back. That would take a lot more time.
The Postal Service will think about what people say before making any big changes. So, there might be a chance for folks to share their thoughts online, and they might even have a meeting if they decide to change things in Hampden.
