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American Morning

National World War II Memorial Proving to be Controversial

Aired August 27, 2001 - 11:47   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: It has been years in the making. Now work is finally set to start on the national World War II memorial in Washington. But for a city filled with monuments, this one is proving to be pretty controversial.

CNN's Jeanne Meserve is in Washington with the reasons why.

Jeanne, good morning.

JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn.

This one seem it is to have dragged on for months and months and months. But this week could bring a decision once and for all if that controversial World War II memorial is eventually built on the mall.

Construction crews this morning were out surveying the land between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument. They hope to spend the next few weeks mapping out locations for utilities, and begin laying the foundation by late September. The estimated construction cost of the bronze and granite memorial is $67.5 million, and it's set to be completed by the spring of 2004.

Supporters of the memorial consider it an appropriate gift to the American veterans who fought, won and died in World War II. But opponents, known as the National Coalition to Save Our Mall, saying that its location and scale will damage the landscape of what is considered the nation's backyard and caused potential environmental problems, such as arsenic contamination of the groundwater during construction.

You may remember that President Bush, on Memorial Day, signed legislation to authorize construction and block any further legal challenges to the memorial's construction. And the district court judge last week ruling no longer had the authority to intervene, refusing to grant a temporary restraining order.

However, opponents refuse to back down, and last week asked a three-judge panel of the D.C. court of appeals to hear their case. A decision from that panel is expected this week -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Jeanne, thank you very much.

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