PALMETTO, Ga. — Videos obtained by 11Alive provide an inside look at the new U.S. Postal Service facility in Palmetto that has been at the center of mail delays in metro Atlanta and north Georgia.
The Atlanta Regional Processing & Distribution Center opened in February, part of the USPS 10-year "Delivering for America" modernization program. It consolidated Atlanta, Augusta, Macon and Duluth area processing and distribution centers, which are each being repurposed as local processing centers.
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Significant delivery delays in the region have followed, drawing the ire of lawmakers on both sides of the aisle in Georgia, from Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff to Republican Rep. Mike Collins. Sen. Ossoff has been unsparing in his public criticisms of U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, saying, "If he can't solve this problem, I don't think he deserves this job."
This week, 11Alive obtained videos from inside the center, which sources said had just been cleaned up potentially in advance of VIP visits to the facility.
To date, 11Alive's request for an interview and visit to the Palmetto facility continues to be denied by USPS communications.
You can take a look at both videos provided by sources to 11Alive below:
Since the opening of the Atlanta RPDC, 11Alive has fielded nearly 3,000 emails from residents about missing and delayed mail and packages. Concerns over missing prescriptions, passports and visa documents, tax documents as well as wedding invitations, among the concerns.
11Alive has been tracking on-time rates for First Class mail for weeks. Operations are slowly improving, though latest numbers self-reported by USPS show a small dip. The on-time rate for all First Class mail still remains below 70%. Meanwhile, only 40% of single-piece letters are being processed on time.
Those experiencing delays or who have not received mail can contact the newsroom with your concerns as we continue to cover this story. Fill out our online form below, and someone from our news team will follow up with you.