East Wing debris dumped at DC golf course has toxic metals: report

Key Points:

• Debris from the demolition of the White House East Wing, dumped at the East Potomac Golf Links, has tested positive for lead, chromium, PCBs, pesticides, petroleum byproducts, and other toxic metals, according to a report by Jacobs Engineering Group Inc.
• Over 30,000 cubic yards of excavated soil were transported to the historic golf course since October, sparking a lawsuit by the DC Preservation League challenging the legality and safety of the dumping and the Trump administration’s takeover of the course.
• The Interior Department maintains that the soil was tested multiple times and met all legal standards, asserting the transfer was safe for the public, while preservationists remain concerned about compliance with federal environmental and historic preservation laws.
• A federal judge has ordered the government to notify before removing more than 10 trees amid ongoing legal disputes, and no immediate tree removal is planned as a safety assessment is underway.
• The Trump administration’s plans to renovate the 105-year-old golf course and a separate military course near Washington have raised concerns about permanently altering historic sites and the presence of toxic contaminants at East Potomac Park.