Five local post offices are on a study list of the U.S. Postal Service for potential closing as a cost-saving measure.

Postal officials stressed this doesn't mean they will be closed, but consideration is definitely being given to shutting them.They are: Parryville and Junedale in Carbon County, and Mary D, Mahanoy Plane and Cumbola in Schuylkill County.Nationally, there are 3,700 post offices on the "expanded access study list" of the Postal Service for potential closure.The Postal Service currently maintains nearly 32,000 retail offices.Sue Brennan, a spokesperson for the Postal Service, said it is studying "right-sizing its expansive retail network."The reason for this, Brennan said, is more customers are choosing to conduct their postal business online, on their smart phones and at shopping destinations."Today, more than 35 percent of the Postal Service's retail revenue comes from expanded access locations such as grocery stores, drugstores, office supply stores, retail chains, self-service kiosks, ATMs, and usps.com, open 24/7," said Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe in a release on the study list."Our customers' habits have made it clear that they no longer require a physical post office to conduct most of their postal business."He stated, "The Postal Service of the future will be smaller, leaner, and more competitive and it will continue to drive commerce, serve communities, and deliver value."The Postal Service has been constantly working on cost-cutting measures that have had an impact on local postal facilities.In the past it has given consideration to shutting several post offices, including Summit Hill's in 2009. The Summit Hill facility is not on the new study list for possible closure.The Postal Service has also moved it's carrier operations from the Summit Hill Post Office and consolidated them with the Lansford Post Office.The Weissport Post Office was closed nearly 20 years ago.More recently, the Postal Service has curtailed general home mail delivery in several small towns, including Bowmanstown. In such towns, the Postal Service had long provided a free post office box for mail pickup, but began charging residents a yearly rental fee for the boxes.The Postal Service didn't indicate when it will make its decisions regarding the expanded access study list of closures.Although no mention was made in the latest release, the Postal Service has for some time been eyeing the curtailment of Saturday mail delivery.