Two golfers filed a lawsuit Friday against the federal government to stop it from renovating a more than 100-year-old public golf course. According to them, the Trump administration is violating environmental laws and polluting the park, which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places, AP reports, writes TASR.
The lawsuit is another in a series of legal disputes challenging Trump’s efforts to transform public spaces in Washington, including the Kennedy Center renovation. Late last year, activists filed a similar lawsuit to prevent the demolition of the East Wing of the White House to build a $400 million ballroom.
Trump and golf courses
Trump, who is an avid golfer, also plans to renovate a military golf course near Washington that has been used by presidents for decades.
The latest lawsuit against the U.S. Department of the Interior says renovating East Potomac Park, including a golf course, would violate an 1897 law of Congress that established the park “for the recreation and enjoyment of the people.” The aforementioned sports area is among only 18 percent of public playgrounds in the US.
“It deserves better than being a dumping ground and another private playground for the privileged and powerful,” said one of the plaintiffs, Dave Roberts.
A dispute over a lease
The lawsuit follows the Trump administration ending the nonprofit’s lease on East Potomac and two other Washington golf courses in December. The Home Office claimed that it had failed to meet the required capital investment and had failed to comply with the terms of the contract. But the organization fought back, saying it had invested $8.5 million (€7.2 million) in the pitches and doubled revenue from them during their administration.
The Department of the Interior also said it would not comment on the lawsuit, but promised that the playgrounds will be “safe, beautiful, open, accessible and enjoyable for visitors to the capital, in accordance with the Trump agenda.”
Concerns about environmental consequences
The lawsuit also states that renovations to East Potomac Park have already begun — in October, the National Park Service began dumping construction waste from the demolition of the East Wing of the White House on the golf course, raising concerns about possible air pollution. The plaintiffs say the administration broke the law by failing to consider the project’s harmful environmental impacts.
The first 18 holes of the golf course at East Potomac Park were built between 1918 and 1923.
