Trump’s DC showing of the lake has been eaten up – again – as the renovation problems continue
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Crews are also draining the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool as US President Donald Trump’s beleaguered effort to repair the waterway moves closer to his original goal of being ready by July 4 to celebrate the nation’s 250th birthday.
The president initially suggested that his renovation would take a century. But, within weeks of the project coming to an end last month, the water was blocked by an algae bloom and pieces of the new blanket could be seen peeling off the floor.
Trump blamed the shelling on the wreckage, though critics say it stems from illegal remediation work.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, who oversees the National Park Service, told broadcaster Katie Miller in an interview released earlier this week that a new round of drainage was planned. He also said that the water may still contain debris from the Independence Day fireworks display at the National Mall.
“Drain the water, clean the fireworks,” Burgum told Miller, who is the wife of White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller. “Repair the destruction done. Refill it.”
US President Donald Trump’s attempt to repair and repaint the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington, DC, is not going as planned. Andrew Chang breaks down the race to fix a host of issues on Independence Day, from large curbs of peeling paint to swamp algae blooms. (Image credits: The Canadian Press, Reuters, Adobe Stock and Getty Images)
The demonstration pool project is one of many projects that Trump has led in the nation’s capital. Most notably, he demolished the White House’s East Wing to build a $400 million US ballroom and plans to build an arch in the tower between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery.
He first announced his intentions to decorate the sparkling pool this spring, saying he wanted it completed before the nation’s 250th anniversary celebration.
Water was poured and Trump ordered what he called the “blue American flag” to be painted on the ground. In May, the president posted on his social media pool: “The goal is to be done, at this high level, before July 4th – We are ahead of schedule!”
But problems started soon after the first job was done. Trump blamed vandals, and court documents later showed that the National Park Service reported to the US Park Police an incident on June 9 in which a sharp knife or razor blade cut the lake’s new liner.
Greenwater Services, the company hired to repair the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, says it is using nanobubble technology to combat stubborn algae that keeps coming back, despite previous cleaning efforts.
On Thursday, former Olympic rower David Hearn pleaded not guilty in D.C. Superior Court to intentionally damaging a reflecting pool. Hearn said he went into the lake to check for a loose cap and released a portion when he was told by a park employee.
His lawyers and other critics of the Trump administration derided the case as an abuse of prosecutorial power and said it was a sloppy job done to clean up the show pool.
At least three other people were indicted in the same court on misdemeanor charges for allegedly removing pieces of paint from the display pool, according to online court records. All three pleaded not guilty when they appeared in court on Wednesday.
The lake was closed for the Independence Day celebration, which featured what Trump said was the world’s largest fireworks display. The president had said the pool would have to be drained again as part of a new cycle of maintenance.
Burgum also said the Trump administration would not seek bids for a new round of repairs. He told CNN State of the Union last weekend: “We will use the same company because they did a great job.”
Ohio-based Green Water Solutions, also known as Greenwater Services, was awarded a US$1.7-million contract to install a water treatment system for the demonstration pool, while Virginia-based Atlantic Industrial Coatings was awarded US$14.7 million to repaint and waterproof the pool’s concrete floor.
Democratic senators and House members are investigating the pool project, including seeking answers about how much taxpayer money is involved.
