Effective February 1, 2010, the Postal Service™ will revise the Postal Operations Manual (POM) to update the standards for the treatment of unidentified items. The disposal of these items as waste will simplify handling procedures and reduce costs
Postal Operations Manual (POM)
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6 Delivery Services
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69 Dead Mail
691 General
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691.2 Opening and Examination
[Revise 691.2 to read as follows:]
Except for unendorsed Standard Mail items, all undeliverable First-Class Mail, Standard Mail, and Package Services items that cannot be returned because of an incorrect, incomplete, illegible, or missing return address are opened and examined at the Mail Recovery Center (MRC) to identify the sender or addressee. Insured First-Class parcels containing Standard Mail or Package Services enclosures (sent under DMM S913) are handled the same way.
691.3 Insured and COD Matter
691.31 Holding Period
[Revise 691.31 to read as follows:]
The Postal Service holds Insured Mail and COD mailpieces for 1 week after they become dead. On a weekly basis, send such pieces to the MRC.
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691.4 Items Loose in the Mail
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691.45 Unidentified Items
[Revise the introductory paragraph of 691.45 to read as follows:]
Treat unidentified items of value ($25 or more) as dead mail. Except for money (see 691.41) and uncanceled stamps (see 691.42), reuse for business purposes only, donate, recycle, or, as a last resort, dispose of as waste all unidentified items without value as follows:
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692 Mail Recovery Centers
692.1 Dead Letter and Parcel Mail
692.11 Addresses
[Revise 692.11 to read as follows:]
The MRC address to send administrative mail is as follows:
Atlanta Mail Recovery Center
U.S. Postal Service
PO Box 44161
Atlanta, GA 30378–1161
The MRC address to send undeliverable mail is as follows:
Atlanta Mail Recovery Center
U.S. Postal Service
5345 Fulton Industrial Blvd. SW
Atlanta, GA 30378–2400
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[Delete 692.12 through 692.16 and renumber 692.17 through 692.19 as new 692.12 through 692.14.]
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We will incorporate these revisions into the next printed version of the POM and also into the online update, available on the Postal Service PolicyNet website:
n Go to http://blue.usps.gov.
n In the left-hand column under “Essential Links”, click PolicyNet.
n Click HBKs.
The direct, URL for the Postal Service PolicyNet website is http://blue.usps.gov/cpim.)
— Mailing Standards, Pricing, 1-28-10
