Raskin, Beyer, Norton, Ivey Demand Trump Administration Remove Demolished East Wing’s Toxic Debris from East Potomac National Park

Washington, D.C.-Today, Representatives Jamie Raskin (MD-08), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL), Don Beyer (VA-08) and Glenn Ivey (MD-04) demanded the Trump Administration take immediate steps to safely remove over 35,000 cubic yards of toxic debris that the president recklessly deposited onto the East Potomac National Park. The poisonous pile-up contains the remains of the illegally demolished White House East Wing.

"For nearly eight months, golfers, cyclists, runners, fishermen and members of the public have been exposed to such debris, which contains dangerous levels of arsenic, lead and mercury," the lawmakers wrote in a letter to Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum. "Even more troubling is your failure to release reliable test results on the potential asbestos content that may be mixed in with the demolition materials of the East Wing."

In October, President Trump illegally demolished the White House's East Wing to make way for his $600 million ballroom, partially financed by taxpayers. Soon after, Secretary Burgum carelessly advised President Trump to deposit its over 35,000 cubic yards of toxic debris onto the public golf course on East Potomac National Park.

The East Potomac Golf Links is part of East Potomac Park, which lies on federal land in Washington, D.C. The park provides recreational space for thousands of people who live in D.C., Maryland and Virginia.

The golf course is on a peninsula surrounded by the Potomac River, an important tributary to the Chesapeake Bay. The White House waited six months after dumping the toxic debris on the golf course to release test results showing the pile contained elevated levels of lead, arsenic and mercury.

"The White House... knew there would be a high likelihood of toxins in the East Wing debris and still chose to dump them in a public place, creating massive exposure for both adults and children," the lawmakers continued.

The East Wing was constructed in 1902, when lead paint was a commonly used material. In addition, any building built or remodeled before 1980 likely contains asbestos, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

In their letter, the lawmakers demanded the administration develop a plan to immediately and safely remove the toxic debris and remediate the surrounding land on East Potomac Golf Links. They also called on the administration to warn the public about any health risks from toxic exposure and share documentation regarding how this irresponsible decision was made.

In addition to Raskin, Norton, Beyer and Ivey, the letter was also signed by Representatives Joyce Beatty (OH-03), André Carson (IN-07), Judy Chu (CA-28), Yvette Clarke (NY-09), Emanuel Cleaver (MO-05), Steve Cohen (TN-09), Joe Courtney (CT-02), Jasmine Crockett (TX-30), Danny Davis (IL-07), Madeleine Dean (PA-04), Lloyd Doggett (TX-37), Sarah Elfreth (MD-03), Dwight Evans (PA-03), Shomari Figures (AL-02), John Garamendi (CA-08), Jesús "Chuy" García (IL-04), Robert Garcia (CA-42), Sylvia Garcia (TX-29), Adelita Grijalva (AZ-07), Jahana Hayes (CT-05), Steny Hoyer (MD-05), Jared Huffman (CA-02), Hank Johnson (GA-04), Julie Johnson (TX-32), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), Summer Lee (PA-12), Ted Lieu (CA-36), Zoe Lofgren (CA-18), Stephen Lynch (MA-08), April McClain Delaney (MD-06), Jennifer McClellan (VA-04), Betty McCollum (MN-04), Analilia Mejia (NJ-11), Christian Menefee (TX-18), Grace Meng (NY-06), Dave Min (CA-47), Seth Moulton (MA-06), Jerry Nadler (NY-12), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), Mark Pocan (WI-02), Emily Randall (WA-06), Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05), Bobby Scott (VA-03), Darren Soto (FL-09), Mark Takano (CA-39), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Bennie Thompson (MS-02), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Paul Tonko (NY-20), Nydia Velázquez (NY-07), James Walkinshaw (VA-11), Sara Jacobs (CA-51), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), Wesley Bell (MO-01) and Seth Magaziner (RI-02).

Rep. Raskin has led congressional opposition to President Trump's illegal demolition of the East Wing. In October, he demanded an immediate halt to the demolition project until it complied with federal law. In December, he introduced legislation to protect the historic character of the White House, requiring a public review process prior to any renovations or significant modifications to the building.

Read the full text of the letter here and below:

The Honorable Doug Burgum

Secretary

U.S. Department of the Interior

1849 C Street NW

Washington, DC 20240

Dear Secretary Burgum:

We demand that you immediately and safely remove over 35,000 cubic yards of toxic debris left over from the demolition of the former East Wing of the White House that you deposited on the East Potomac Golf Course. For nearly eight months, golfers, cyclists, runners, fishermen and members of the public have been exposed to such debris, which contains dangerous levels of arsenic, lead and mercury. Even more troubling is your failure to release reliable test results on the potential asbestos content that may be mixed in with the demolition materials of the East Wing. These contaminants are embedded in debris piles just feet away from the banks of the Potomac River, an important tributary of the Chesapeake Bay where people fish and row.

In October 2025, President Trump's illegal and unannounced demolition of the East Wing of the White House presented a novel and dangerous challenge. You proposed dumping the debris on East Potomac Golf Course; the plans were quickly approved and set in motion by the President. Days after President Trump started to demolish the East Wing of the White House on October 20, 2025, contractors hired by the National Park Service (NPS) began carting away the massive debris-including pipes, wires and rebar-to East Potomac National Park. All told, NPS transported over 35,000 cubic yards of debris.

More than six months later, NPS has finally released test results on the East Wing debris. The results show elevated levels of heavy metals including arsenic, lead, and mercury. One sample even contained twice the maximum acceptable exposure level in soil set by the EPA for children, though experts say no level of exposure is safe. Lead and mercury are severe neurotoxins that can disrupt brain development, damage nerve cells and impair cognitive function, while sustained arsenic exposure is strongly linked to skin, lung, and bladder cancers. Results for asbestos content have been inconclusive due to limited and compromised sample vials. The contamination results are unsurprising, as the East Wing of the White House was first built in 1902, when lead paint was a ubiquitous paint material.

The East Wing was later significantly renovated in 1945. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), any building built or remodeled before 1980 likely contains asbestos. The White House therefore knew there would be a high likelihood of toxins in the East Wing debris and still chose to dump them in a public place, creating massive exposure for both adults and children. In fact, in sworn declarations before a Federal District Court, Director of White House Management and Administration Joshua Fisher attested that the demolished East Wing included "toxic substances spread throughout the structure, including asbestos and lead based paint." Moreover, NPS leadership allegedly knew of the pollution as early as October 2025, but continued to freely dump anyway.

The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires federal agencies to assess the effects of any proposed project on "the quality of the human environment" and produce an Environmental Impact Statement-or at the very least an Environmental Assessment-for a project of this significance. You have not complied with this law. Instead, you have attempted an end-run around NEPA by claiming that the debris meets the criteria for a "Categorical Exclusion," a procedure that is only used for actions which "do not significantly affect the human environment." In your Categorical Exclusion document, you attested that the East Wing debris would be "clean fill" to fulfill "existing maintenance" needs. As the test results demonstrate, these debris piles are anything but "clean fill" but rather more than likely pose a threat to human health and the environment.

To immediately address the threats to human health and the environment presented by the East Wing debris, we request written answers to the following questions by no later than July 10, 2026:

1. What is your Department's plan to remove the debris, monitor and remediate the contamination on East Potomac National Park caused by the more than 35,000 cubic yards of toxic debris from the East Wing? When will your Department execute this plan? Has the Department warned the public in the meantime of the risks to public health?

2. Please share all documentation and communication between agency officials in connection with the transportation of East Wing debris to East Potomac Golf Course.

3. Why did the Department fail to test the East Wing debris dumped prior to October 28, 2025 on East Potomac Golf Course?

4. Why did the Department proceed with dumping the debris after knowing it was likely to be contaminated and without knowing the test results? Please share all documents related to this decision.

We appreciate your consideration and look forward to your prompt response.

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