Suit filed against the Federal Ministry of the Interior and the National Park Service for "rushing the process and ignoring the damage to residents"
Concerns about aircraft safety and traffic paralysis... The government's 'push-style' administrative brakes
Local governments have taken formal legal action to block President Donald Trump's plan to build a large 'Triumphal Arch' near Washington. This is the first time that a local government in Virginia, across from Washington, D.C., has filed an administrative lawsuit.
According to major foreign media outlets on the 9th, the Arlington County Executive Committee in Virginia filed a lawsuit in federal court against the federal Department of the Interior and the National Park Service (NPS) to stop President Trump's plan to build the Arc de Triomphe.
This 250-foot-tall (approximately 76 meters) arch. The Arc de Triomphe is scheduled to be built near Arlington National Cemetery, modeled after the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, and there are speculations that final approval could be received as early as next month. President Trump announced last month that he would convert the arch into a "military complex" capable of operating drones and deploying snipers.
In its complaint, Arlington County argued that the project would cause "serious harm" to residents by being located in the middle of a complex and busy transportation hub and would even force changes in nearby flight paths.
The county's attorneys said the National Park Service is rushing construction without a thorough prior review process. pointed out. “The agency claims that a final decision has not yet been made, but this is merely an excuse to force justification to fit the president’s repeated directives,” the lawsuit said. It urged, “The ‘breakneck pace’ of construction must be halted immediately to allow for the proper analysis and verification required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).”
Arlington County Chairman Matt DeFerranti said in a statement, “Our community is bearing the brunt of this reckless and illegal proposal.” “I filed a lawsuit because I had no choice but to wear it,” he said, criticizing the county for completely ignoring the serious and widespread negative impact it would have on residents, even though the county has sincerely participated in the review process. The Department of the Interior released a brief statement, saying, "We continue to comply with all laws and regulations," and the White House did not respond to a request for comment.
Meanwhile, safety concerns are constantly being highlighted as the structure is located in the airport's main aircraft takeoff and landing access corridor. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has proposed safety regulations that require flame devices and floodlights to be installed on top of structures so that pilots can identify them.Previously, the FAA had exempted regulations on red lights, which are normally required for buildings taller than 200 feet near airports.
President Trump's construction of the Arc de Triomphe is being promoted as part of a broader plan to reorganize major landmarks in Washington, D.C., including repairs to the Lincoln Memorial's reflecting pond, redevelopment of the East Potomac Park golf course, and renaming of the John F. Kennedy Center.
The U.S., comprised of personnel previously appointed by President Trump, The Council for Fine Arts (CFA) has given early approval to the arch. However, in response to this, three veterans and an architectural historian filed a lawsuit in federal court demanding congressional approval, and the judge in charge ordered the administration to provide advance notice to the court 48 hours before commencing construction-related preparations.