Arlington County officials have filed a lawsuit to block construction of the Trump administration’s planned triumphal arch in DC, The Washington Post reports. The suit argues that administration officials have not properly evaluated the environmental impacts of the structure.
Arlington filed the suit in federal court on Thursday. It alleges that the National Park Service did only a cursory review of the project, which violates the National Environmental Policy Act’s mandates that federal agencies carefully study the impacts of major construction projects.
Last month, a National Park Service report backed the plan to build the arch, but acknowledged that its height will interfere with the sightline of dozens of nearby attractions. “The same characteristics that make Memorial Circle sensitive from a preservation perspective are also the characteristics that make it the historically appropriate location for the undertaking,” the report said.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum posted on X that excavation work would begin soon on the project.
President Donald Trump commissioned the 250-foot arch to commemorate America 250. His Commission of Fine Arts approved the design in May, and The National Capital Planning Commission approved preliminary site and building plans. However, the commission’s final approval is required before construction to begin.
A White House spokesperson said in an email to Washington Business Journal that the excavation work “does not require approval, but rather helps in the process. … We will of course continue on our path of seeking final approval from all applicable entities.”
Other Opposition to the Arch
Local preservation groups and lawmakers have expressed opposition to the project. For example, in May, Rep. Don Beyer announced he was introducing the Arlington National Cemetery Viewshed Protection Act to prohibit the arch’s construction, including the use of federal funds to build it.
Beyer has also raised concerns over how the arch would impact traffic. He sent a letter to the National Park Service asking for more transparency about traffic problems. “With the size of the project and the site’s location between Arlington Memorial Bridge and Arlington National Cemetery, the proposed construction would have significant traffic impacts on my Northern Virginia constituents,” he wrote.
The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA recently raised safety concerns about the arch, ARLNow reported. The group’s president, Sara Nelson, commented on the proposed structure’s proximity to DC’s Reagan National Airport. “DCA is already stretched to its limit. We do not need an obstacle taking up space in our flight path,” Nelson said.
