Groups that want to electrify USPS fleet file lawsuit

The Associated Press ^ | April 28, 2022 | By DAVID SHARP

[Oldeconomybuyer]

Four environmental groups that want the U.S. Postal Service to buy more electric delivery vehicles are suing to halt purchases of thousands of gas-powered trucks as the agency modernizes its mail delivery fleet.

The lawsuit, filed Thursday in federal court in California asks a judge to order the Postal Service to conduct a more thorough environmental review before moving forward with the next-generation delivery vehicle program.

Plaintiffs contend that purchases of fossil fuel-powered delivery vehicles will cause environmental harm for decades to come.

“Louis DeJoy’s gas-guzzling fleet guarantees decades of pollution with every postcard and package,” said Scott Hochberg, an attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity, referring to the postmaster general.

The lawsuit filed by Earthjustice, Center for Biological Diversity, CleanAirNow KC and Sierra Club could be the first of several targeting the Postal Service’s environmental review of the next-generation delivery vehicle program.

[Tommy Revolts]

...purchases of fossil fuel-powered delivery vehicles will cause environmental harm for decades to come.

Have they done an environmental study on electric delivery vehicles environmental harm? Retards!

[V_TWIN]

I’m not in favor of any technology that may spontaneously combust at any moment for no apparent reason.

Not to mention it’s very difficult if not almost impossible to extinguish.

[Dr. Sivana]

I will argue that electric limited use postal vehicles are in fact a valid use of the technology.

I don't support the USPS purchase of special "long-life vehicles", but I really don't like Biden trying to issue executive orders making them go electric.

The main reason I don't care for the LLV purchase is because the USPS is buying on the assumption that need for such vehicles will remain high for the next 30 years . . . a bad bet.

While electric vehicles might work fine for local deliveries, I cannot imagine a moderate sized post office with 20 of those vehicles having enough electricity to charge overnight. When UPS does this, they do the cost analysis and get the charging stations in place first.

I am disappointed that cng (compressed natural gas vehicles) stopped getting love. The U.S. has LOTS of natural gas, it is often cheaper, refills almost as fast as gasoline/diesel, works on modified gasoline engines, and it burns cleaner than petrol, if that is a goal. UPS made that decision without a law (though who knows what tax incentives and credits are involved?).

USPS is in a bind. They are expected to "operate like a business" and not lose money, but their business decisions are often dictated from politicians, an impossible situation.

[Lurker]

No standing.

L

[rktman]

😂🙌

[Pollard]

I agree but someone would have to come up a new vehicle design because I doubt any existing make/model would be up to par for simplicity, space and longevity. Longevity is a big deal with USPS. Those ugly little vans are called LLVs or Long Life Vehicles and most have been on the road for almost 30 years. The chassis was based on a 1982 S10 Blazer.

How many battery replacements would that be for an EV and what would the cost be?

What would the cost be for charging stations?

Some facilities would need electric service upgrade. They might have a 200 amp service to the building that would need to be upped to 3-400 amps. New load center, new circuits run for the charging stations.

How well would they work in zero degree temps?

How much would it cost to retrain USPS mechanics?

[BfloGuy]

I will argue that electric limited use postal vehicles are in fact a valid use of the technology.

In addition to higher operating costs, there will be the expense of adding thousands upon thousands of chargers at Post Offices across the country. Not to mention replacing batteries every few years at thousands a pop.

Then there is the fact that many - if not most - delivery routes exceed the average range of electric vehicles.

This is just politics infringing on the operation of a government agency, much as the military is being forced to go “green”.

[mikey_hates_everything]

Well, Titan’s methane lakes come from the dinosaurs and plants that existed on Saturn’s moon long ago. Don’t you know anything?

[alloysteel]

The adoption of battery-electric vehicles in ANY venue should be a purely economic decision. Is it cost-effective, and is the cost/benefit ratio fully worked out?

Plug-in electric vehicles running on a storage battery of some kind are very much a niche product, suitable for limited passenger or light material transport use over relatively level terrain, in the absence of any extreme conditions. It is not at all conscionable to mandate their complete substitution for other powered land vehicles.

Personally I favor a steam-powered vehicle fueled with compressed natural gas or propane, with a completely closed water reclamation condenser unit for the spent steam.

Face it, the world is going to be using some form of hydrocarbon-based fuel as a power source for decades or perhaps centuries to come.

[sodpoodle]

In some areas, the USPS requires a carrier to drive their own vehicles. Have to be large enough to hold packages etc.,

Any increases in operation costs are always followed by increased stamp/postage rates.

[joe fonebone]

Ya learn something new every day.... lol

[Gnome1949]

Mail delivery should be provided by private contractors who bid to provide services.

Snail mail is a dying service.

Package delivery is the survivor.

[bobbo666]

I do not doubt that every one of these oxygen sucking TWOT’s are pushing this ‘cause the CCP wants more money for its batteries. That is all this push is about, laundering more $$ for the CCP.

[ConjunctionJunction]

And if I were the judge:

Thrown out because no legal standing!

[Carthego delenda est]

“I wonder who they work for?”

Originally, there were two guys who were trying to get the “CBD” started. They were writing to anybody they thought would give them money: grants. Eventually, Ted Turner responded with a grant for $10,000. This led the two guys to take a vacation in Mexico with ‘all’ that money. The rest is history. How do I know this? I met one of the guys while looking for a house to rent/house sit. Who does the CBD work for now? The US government is the big one, in a round about way.

[AFreeBird]

The offices of Dewey, Cheatem & Howe.

[Salman]

So they will run on coal and not petroleum. And will be more expensive, but I guess that’s coming anyway.

[refermech]

Agree, perfect use for electric vehicles. Use all day , plug to charge each night. Ill bet they would save a ton on maintenance alone.

[Paperpusher]

“Center for Biological Diversity has their fingers in every enviro lawsuit.”

I wonder who they work for?

The organization that became CBD was created in 1991 by Kieran Suckling, Peter Galvin, Todd Schulke and Robin Silver
Suckling is CBD executive director, and as of 2017, his total compensation was $295,823. He is a former protester with the radical-left direct-action environmentalist organization Earth First!

Funding by:
the “biggest benefactor” was controversial left-of-center Swiss billionaire Hansjörg Wyss, giving through his Wyss Foundation. From 2003-2006 the Wyss Foundation gave at least $500,000 to CBD. Kieran Suckling stated in 2010 that Wyss had pledged an individual donation of an additional $10 million to be given to CBD between 2007 and 2011.

The Sandler Foundation has also been a very large institutional donor to CBD, giving $7.7 million from 2003 through 2017.

Other left-leaning foundations that have donated large total sums to CBD include the following:

Wilburforce Foundation – $1 million.
Environment Now – $849,000. Environment Now is a foundation based in Southern California that stylizes itself as a “SWAT team” for the environment. It has also donated to the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Sierra Club. As of 2016 it reported net assets of $30 million.
Frankel Family Foundation – $815,000. This foundation has also donated to org, Everytown for Gun Safety, the Union of Concerned Scientists and the Arizona affiliate of Planned Parenthood. It is based in Chicago and as of 2017 reported annual contributions of more than $1 million and net assets of $7 million.
Marisla Foundation – $615,000.
Argosy Foundation – $415,000. This foundation is affiliated with the Consultative Group on Biological Diversity, the Environmental Grantmakers Association, and the Funders for Reproductive Equity.
Educational Foundation of America – $400,000.
Arabella Advisors - coordinates funding to many left wing groups, and many in the Biden administration formerly worked for Arabella Advisors

[red-dawg]

fossil fuel-powered delivery vehicles will cause environmental harm for decades to come.

I wish, for once, that the judge says:

PROVE IT