Sixteen U.S. states, two large climate organizations, and the United Auto Workers (UAW) union are suing the U.S. Postal Service in an effort to block its purchase of more than 140,000 new mail delivery trucks over environmental issues, according to The Washington Post. The new vehicles would improve working conditions for USPS workers, but they wouldn't significantly improve fuel consumption or carbon emissions. The suit cites the potential environment impact of the new fleet and the USPS paying Wisconsin contractor Oshkosh to begin production without first conducting a thorough climate-based analysis, according to the Post. The UAW joined the suit after Oshkosh announced it would build the new mail trucks in South Carolina rather than a union state. California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in announcing the suit that the USPS is, quote, "doubling down on outdated technologies," stating, "Once this purchase goes through, we'll be stuck with more than 100,000 new gas-guzzling vehicles on neighborhood streets, serving homes across our state and across the country, for the next 30 years."
Photo: Getty Images