The USPS cited some disruptions that impacted its recent performance, including a hazmat leak in Missouri in October.
Each week, the USPS issues delivery performance metrics for market-dominant services (First-Class Mail, Marketing Mail, and Periodicals). In its November 27th release, it noted that a facility in Saint Louis, MO, had been shut down for two weeks for decontamination of a hazardous mercury leak from an illegally shipped package, which required “significant rerouting of product and service disruptions throughout the Midwest.”
Local news media covered the issue, and people discussed the problem on a thread on Reddit – one person said on October 30th that their package sent from Massachusetts to Missouri remained stuck in Massachusetts distribution center, so it appears likely some online sellers were impacted by the disruption.
The USPS regularly reminds people not to ship products containing mercury, including antique items such as thermometers, barometers, blood pressure monitors and similar devices.
The Postal Service also said performance for the seventh week of the first quarter for fiscal year 2024 had been impacted by a transition to its operations at several facilities:
“Performance during this timeframe was negatively affected during the insourcing of several Surface Transfer Centers that were previously managed by third parties. There were temporary operational disruptions during these transitions that have been resolved.”
I lucked out and nothing was delayed except my VA medication. Last week though, one of my packages went to MN instead of Florida.
Somebody’s nail polish leaked and it’s “HAZMAT” to the crybabies at USPS. Any and all excuses to take the day off, to underperform, etc.
2 weeks to clean up a little mercury seems too long, they also close Desoto MO PO for a week because some of the mercury got into their PO. Delayed my daughter’s mail by days and they bypassed Desoto through Hillsboro PO, slowing down my mail.