The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) is currently conducting an area mail processing study. The study is evaluating the feasibly of Harlan County out-going mail being dispatched to Lexington instead of the current London location.

“The study is evaluating service to see if it is efficient and cost effective to dispatch mail to Lexington instead of London,” said David Walton the Louisville USPS Spokesperson.

Rachelle Brummett, Harlan Post Office mail carrier, explained all post offices in Harlan County dispatch their mail to the Harlan Post Office where it is processed and bagged. The mail is then dispatched to the London Post Office. All mail leaves Harlan at 1:30 p.m. and again at 5:15 p.m.

Michelle Thomas, the Postmaster Relief at the Baxter Post Office said the mail arrives in the London Post Office where it is separated and sorted with the next day the mail being dispatched back to Harlan. Once the mail arrives back in Harlan highway contractors then pick up the mail from the Harlan Post Office and deliver to each individual post office within the county.

Some post offices have local bins where customers can place their local mail enabling the USPS to cancel the postage and place that mail in the proper mailboxes. By offering this service it sometimes allows people to get local mail service the same day it was mailed.

“We are looking at our equipment in each area to utilize the fastest and most automated techniques. Customers would not notice the change, it would be transparent to them,” Walton said.

According to Walton this study will take approximately four to six months to complete.

“Through this study we would determine if the mail service could be made more efficient. If the USPS found that it would cause delays in mail service to Harlan county, the change would not even be considered,” said Walton.