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Congressman Ben Chandler on Friday called upon the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct a formal review of a United States Postal Service study that recommends closing the mail center in Lexington.

"I think it's important we take this next step to ask for an investigation of the closure proposal from the Postal Service," said Chandler. The closure of the Lexington facility would result in the loss of over 300 jobs and delay mail service, particularly in rural areas of Central Kentucky where mail would travel upwards of two hundred miles round trip.

"I strongly believe the GAO needs to look into the situation further before considering closure," Chandler added. "I realize the Postal Service has operating concerns, but closing the Lexington facility is the wrong way to deal with the Postal Service's fiscal problems, and could harm our region in the long run. I've also been in touch with Mayor Gray, who supports this audit request, and I look forward to working with him in this process. "

In a letter to the United States Comptroller General, Chandler requested an audit of the July 2011 USPS report, which proposes transferring the processing operations in Lexington to facilities in Louisville and Knoxville, TN. The Lexington facility has been rated a highly efficient center, and its centralized location makes it an appropriate choice for mail processing and distribution in Kentucky.