U.S. Postal Service Studies Closures/Consolidations

{Kentucky}...The U.S. Postal Service says annual mail volume has declined by more than 43 billion pieces in the past five years and is continuing to decline. Postal Service officials plan to conduct a study at the Hazard Customer Service Mail Processing Center to determine the feasibility of consolidating its operations into the Knoxville, Tennessee Processing and Distribution Center. The study is expected to be completed in early 2012. Friday is the last day of operations at the Dayhoit U.S. Post Office in Harlan County. Customers will have to go to Loyall to get their mail. The U.S. Post Office on Thursday released a list of processing facilities across the nation that could close or consolidate operations. Offices in Hazard, London, Somerset, Campton, and Lexington were on that list.