The Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) has put forth a schedule for reviewing whether the US Postal Service’s plan to eliminate Saturday delivery should be implemented. The Postal Service, however, would like to see the PRC issue an advisory opinion sooner than the schedule would allow. In a statement, the PRC called the nationwide elimination of Saturday mail delivery “one of the most significant changes the Postal Service has ever presented to the commission.” Before it can make any changes to nationwide service, the Postal Service is required to ask the PRC for an advisory opinion. Congress would also need to act to eliminate existing statutory language mandating mail delivery six days a week The PRC review process includes multiple opportunities for the public to be heard on the issue as well on-the-record hearings that continue into October of this year (click here for a complete schedule). During the process, mail users and interested members of the public may offer supporting and opposing views. The Postal Service, however, “is very disappointed to learn that the commission has been unable to develop a more expeditious schedule,” said Gerald McKiernan, manager, media relations at the USPS, in an e-mailed statement. The issue of whether to eliminate Saturday delivery “is a matter of considerable urgency for the Postal Service as our financial condition continues to deteriorate. It’s critical that the Congress have an opportunity to review this matter some time this year,” continued McKiernan. The USPS is predicting it could post a loss of $7 billion this year and estimates eliminating Saturday delivery could save as much as $3.1 billion. The PRC, in its ruling on the schedule, said that it is “mindful of the balancing it must undertake to ensure the forthcoming advisory opinion is timely and useful, and also adequately provides due process to all intervenors.”