Senator Collins Criticizes USPS Decision to Convert Hampden Facility to a Local Processing Center

Washington, D.C. – Following the United States Postal Service’s (USPS) decision to convert the Eastern Maine plant in Hampden to a Local Processing Center, moving outgoing mail processing to Scarborough, U.S. Senator Susan Collins released the following statement:

“This misguided decision, which I repeatedly urged the USPS to reject, jeopardizes the reliable delivery of mail, including critical medication, for Mainers,” Senator Collins wrote. “In addition, residents will certainly see their local mail delayed. These concerns are further heightened by the recent USPS IG report highlighting pre-existing delivery delays in Southern Maine. The USPS should reconsider this decision and be transparent with Mainers about its impact.”

The Hampden facility is important for mail delivery across large parts of Maine. For example, mail currently sent from Fort Kent to Wallagrass, 10 miles away, is processed in Hampden, 192 miles away. It then returns the following day by truck to Wallagrass, which is 182 miles away. Under the new proposal, this mail would have to be transported to Scarborough, 322 miles away from Fort Kent, and then be sent at least another 312 miles back to Wallgrass. A highway mileage map of Maine can be found here.

Senator Collins has long voiced her opposition to proposed changes to the postal network in Maine that could affect reliable mail service for Mainers.

In November 2023, she penned a letter to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy objecting to the proposal to consolidate operations of Maine’s two USPS processing facilities, which USPS was considering as part of a study on operational efficiency.  Senator Collins also provided comments for a public meeting on the proposal in February. Prior to this, Senator Collins wrote to Postmaster DeJoy several times, addressing concerns about delivery speed and workforce retention in Maine and across the national postal network. Additionally, she met with the USPS IG last fall to discuss their examination of Postal Service quality in Southern Maine.

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