By David Shepardson
WASHINGTON, Oct 8 (Reuters) - Local authorities in Arlington, Virginia, sued the US Department of Interior and National Park Service seeking to block President Donald Trump's proposed triumphal arch, saying it poses risks to aviation safety and emergency services.
The 250-foot (76-meter) arch project modeled on Paris' Arc de Triomphe and planned for near Arlington National Cemetery, just across the Potomac River from Washington, could win approval as early as next month.
The Arlington
County governing board said in its lawsuit that the project within a busy traffic corridor will cause "significant harm" to its residents and likely require changes to nearby flight paths.
The suit filed late on Thursday argues that the National Park Service failed to conduct a thorough review and argues it will harm public safety by clogging thoroughfares needed for emergency transport services.
"It threatens to increase noise and air pollution in Arlington by necessitating the diversion of certain flights into and out of Reagan National Airport," the suit added.
The White House said on Friday that the administration "has been fastidiously compliant with all procedural and legal requirements and are certain this meritless and dilatory lawsuit will be dismissed." The Interior Department said it was following all laws and regulations.
The proposed arch would be within the airport's main approach and departure corridors, raising concern among some aviation experts. The Federal Aviation Administration's safety determination requires the arch to be marked with the flame atop the structure and floodlight projectors to make it noticeable for pilots.
The FAA dropped an earlier requirement for red obstruction lights, which it generally mandates on buildings more than 200 feet (61 meters) tall near airports, such as the nearby 555-foot (169-meter) Washington Monument.
The arch is part of Trump's broader push to remake Washington, including renovating the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, redeveloping a golf course in East Potomac Park and adding his name to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Preservationists say the projects would alter some of the capital's most prominent historic landmarks.
Three veterans and a military historian have also sued to block the arch, arguing it would destroy the historic sight line between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery.
A federal judge in Washington last month ordered the Trump administration to give 48 hours' notice before engaging in any activity on the proposed arch site, except for work to identify underground cultural artifacts.
Trump said last month that he would convert the arch into a military complex capable of deploying drones and positioning snipers.
(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Lincoln Feast and Bill Berkrot)
