Days after an algae bloom turned the newly renovated Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool into a green-tinted swamp, flaps of recently applied “American flag blue” paint are bubbling on the surface.
The shallow pool, which Donald Trump repeatedly promotes as “bigger than skyscrapers,” was refurbished with a shade of dark blue and outfitted with “advanced nanobubbler technology” to tackle algae blooms that have long plagued the landmark.
But shortly after workers refilled the pool, the algae returned.
Now, a section of recently applied sealant in the Trump-requested blue hue is starting to peel.
The president initially said a refurbishing project for the iconic 2,030-foot pool could be done quickly for $1.5 million in time for White House-backed Fourth of July celebrations in Washington, D.C. The government has now spent nearly $14.7 million, a figure that is likely to grow to cover necessary repairs.
open image in galleryIn April, the Trump administration initially awarded a no-bid contract worth nearly $7 million to a Virginia-based firm that does not appear to have previously held a contract with the federal government.
That company, Atlantic Industrial Coatings LLC, was awarded another $6.2 million in May, according to federal spending records.
On June 3, the company received another $1 million, followed by more than $461,000 on June 15.
The Trump administration bypassed a typical competitive bid process by arguing that the need for renovations was so urgent that any delays would cause “serious injury” to the government, though it remains unclear what that “injury” entailed.
In recent days, the pool has had more algae in it than at any recorded point in the month of June for at least five years, according to an analysis from The Washington Post.
Earlier this week, workers outfitted in neon vests were seen dumping bottles of hydrogen peroxide into the pool.
The Interior Department said the chemical was a “milder treatment than chlorine,” which has “no harmful side effects to marine life or to the environment.”
That treatment appears to have caused the blue paint to peel and raised phosphate levels in the pool “far higher than what is recommended to keep algae at bay,” according to CNN, which relied on a swimming pool store to help test the water.
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open image in galleryIn April, Trump complained that the monument “never looked great” because the stone on the bottom of the pool was “not really meant to be a stone that’s underwater for that much of a period of time.” He vowed to clean the “filthy” and “disgusting” water, which he praised as “clean” and “beautiful” when it was refilled months later.
The administration is now calling in reinforcements to combat the algae problem.
“Unlike the Obama and Biden administrations that shamefully chose to let our national treasures descend into filth and disrepair, the Trump administration is marshaling in the necessary resources to ensure the capital city of the most powerful country in the world is absolutely stunning in honor of our historic 250th celebrations,” an Interior Department spokesperson told The Independent.
“It is beyond comprehension why anyone would be upset that President Trump is making D.C. Safe and Beautiful Again,” the person said.
open image in galleryAsked why Atlantic Industrial Coatings LLC received several rounds of funding for the project, a spokesperson for the Interior Department told The Independent last month that the National Park Service “chose the best company to expedite the repair of the iconic Reflecting Pool ahead of our 250 celebrations.”
“The choice of American Flag Blue will enhance the visitor experience by making the pool reflect the grand Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument,” the person said.
“The contract price reflects the effort necessary to expedite the timeline of completing the leak prevention coating project — more people, more materials, more equipment and longer hours ahead of our 250th,” the person added.