NYC Joins Lawsuit Against Postal Service's Fossil-Fuel Car Fleet

NEW YORK, NY — The United States Postal Service's vehicle fleet isn't delivering the goods in more ways than one, according to a new lawsuit.

New York City joined a lawsuit against the city's postal service on Thursday that contends a plan to replace thousands of fossil-fuel-powered vehicles violates the state's environmental policies.

The lawsuit, backed by 16 states including New York, argues that the postal service unfairly passed up the opportunity to instead convert its fleet to electric vehicles, according to a press release from the Mayor's Office.

“New York City is proud to be a global leader on sustainability, but the USPS’s plan to put more fossil fuel-powered vehicles on the roads undermines our goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” said Mayor Eric Adams. “The city is proud to file this multistate lawsuit and proud to stand firmly on the side of environmental justice for all communities.”

Under a law known as the National Environmental Policy Act, the postal service was required to take a "hard look" at how an upcoming major vehicle purchase would impact the environment. Instead, USPS signed a contract and made a down payment on largely fossil-fuel-powered vehicles before that environmental review was even completed, according to officials.

The USPS is set to replace a large number of its 212,000 vehicles — the largest civilian vehicle fleet in the world — that are nearing the end of their useful lives, according to the lawsuit.

“By failing to take the legally-required hard look at the environmental impacts of keeping its gas-powered fleet, the Postal Service arbitrarily rejected an option to convert to zero-emission electric vehicles,” New York City's attorney Sylvia Hinds-Radix said. “Our lawsuit seeks to reverse the Postal Service’s ill-conceived and unlawful decision which harms communities already overburdened by pollution and detracts from the city’s overall efforts to battle climate change and improve public health.”

Replacing vehicles with an electric fleet, New York City officials contend the USPS could have a significant impact on fighting climate change, particularly in low-income neighborhoods like East New York where postal distribution facilities are located.

A 2016 study estimated that emissions from vehicle traffic alone causes 320 premature deaths in New York City each year, as well as 870 asthma-related emergency room visits and cardiovascular or respiratory hospitalizations, officials said.

The lawsuit is joined by New York, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and the District of Columbia, as well as the Bay Area Air Quality Management District.