The U.S. Postal Service is moving ahead with plans to close a dozen Georgia mail facilities, part of a nationwide effort to cut costs.

The Georgia facilities in danger of closing are in Acworth, Albany, Athens, Augusta, Cartersville, Columbus, Douglasville, Marietta, Savannah, Swainsboro, Valdosta and Waycross.

The postal service proposed closing 252 of the nation's 461 mail processing centers beginning next spring, resulting in the elimination of roughly 28,000 jobs.

Officials predict the closings would also slow the delivery of first-class mail.

The cuts are part of $3 billion in reductions aimed at helping the agency avert bankruptcy next year. They would virtually eliminate the chance for stamped letters to arrive the next day, a change in first-class delivery standards that have been in place since 1971.

Tags: Post Office, U.S. Postal Service, Postal Service, post office closings