Congressman Chris Smith (R-Hamilton) today urged regional and national Postal Service officials to reverse a plan to reduce days of operation at two key post offices in Hamilton and Trenton.

    Smith sent letters to the officials after learning that the USPS plans to eliminate one day of operation at both the Yardville Station in Hamilton and the Chambersburg station on South Broad Street in Trenton.

    “It seems counterproductive for the Post Office to consider cutting operations at these two facilities while our local postal operations and customer service are still strained and suffering due to the anthrax crisis,” Smith wrote in the letter.

    The Postal Service’s proposal would eliminate Thursday hours at the two stations as of November 6.   Prior to the anthrax crisis, the facilities were open only four days a week, but the postal service added the additional day to compensate for ongoing mail delivery problems associated with the prolonged closing of the Hamilton Processing and Distribution Center on Route 130.

    “As the anthrax crisis is not yet over, it is premature to consider reverting back to the pre-anthrax schedule before the Route 130 facility is thoroughly cleaned and ready to resume its customer workload,” Smith wrote.

    “It is also important to note that the volume of mail is likely to substantially increase just as the reductions in service are planned to take effect….While customers may be able to purchase stamps at other stores near the Yardville and Chambersburg branches, they cannot use these facilities to mail parcels and insured or certified packages – services in great demand during the holiday season.”  

    “In light of these concerns and the continued service disruption imposed on our anthrax-impacted area, I am urging you to reject – or at a minimum postpone – this proposal until full, area-wide operations are resumed and postal customers have the access they once had before the anthrax attacks of two years ago,” he continued.

    Since the closure of the Route 130 facility due to anthrax contamination in the fall of 2001, Smith has led the effort to ensure the Postal Service does not make permanent operational changes while the Route 130 facility remains closed.

    Last year, the Postal Service proposed issuing a permanent reassignment of more than 60 Hamilton employees to facilities in Middlesex County.  Smith raised the issue to top-level postal management and persuaded the authorities to reverse their decision.