Oct. 9 (UPI) — Arlington County is suing to stop construction of President Donald Trump’s 250-foot arch, alleging the National Park Service violated federal law by failing to conduct a thorough review of the project’s environmental impacts, and that it failed to consider reasonable alternatives to the “vanity project.”
“The president is not allowed to bypass legal review requirements just because he wants to move quickly on his own whims, and NPS clearly violated the law by failing to conduct an adequate review of the arch project,” said Skye Perryman, president and CEO of Democracy Forward, which is working in partnership on the legal challenge with the Arlington County Attorney’s Office, said Thursday in a statement.
The arch proposed for Memorial Circle is one of several projects Trump has advanced to remake Washington, D.C., in what critics say is his own image. Many of the projects, such as construction of a White House ballroom, have attracted litigation, with Thursday’s being the latest against the Triumphal Arch.
While the lawsuit filed in February against the arch alleges it lacks congressional approval, the one filed Thursday states NPS failed to abide by its obligations under the National Environmental Policy Act to examine its potential historic, cultural and aesthetic impacts and to evaluate alternatives and mitigation measures.
“Rather than conduct a thorough review, NPS instead completed a cursory and conclusory Environmental Assessment, which it relied on in issuing a Finding of No Significant Impact that concluded it had no obligation to prepare a more detailed Environmental Impact Statement,” the lawsuit states.
“In doing so, NPS failed to consider reasonable alternatives that would advance the project’s stated purpose and need; improperly dismissed or minimized harms that the agency acknowledges the project will cause; and outright ignored other significant impacts of the project.”
Arlington County further alleges the arch will harm it by further congesting thoroughfares needed for emergency transport, including for Arlington National Cemetery and secondary emergency services for Reagan national Airport, while threatening to increase noise and air pollution.
“It will significantly and detrimentally affect many historic properties in Arlington, including Arlington National Cemetery,” the lawsuit states.
Trump last month announced that at the request of the U.S. military, the arch would be a “top grade Military Complex” to house “large numbers of drones,” snipers and ammunition.
The county argues in its lawsuit that using the arch to stockpile ammunition and serve as a staging point for drones and snipers so close to commuters and tourists “will dramatically worsen these public-safety harms and the risk of accidents.”
Arlington County Board Chair Matt de Ferranti said they were filing the lawsuit because their community has the most to lose “from this egregious and unlawful proposed project.”
“We have diligently and in good faith engaged in the review process, pointing out severe, unique and wide-ranging negative impacts to the county and our residents,” de Ferranti said in a statement.
“Enough is enough. We will do all we can to hold this administration accountable and to protect and serve the best interests of our community.”
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