A contractor that helped overhaul the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool more than 15 years ago says it passed on the Trump administration's latest redo, months before blue coating began peeling up from the basin. Two employees of New Jersey-based Sika Corp., which did some work on the pool in 2010, tell CNN they were approached in March about providing materials for a quick "blue" resurfacing, but they refused, calling the July 4 deadline and color requirement "unfeasible." They say their proposed fix would've taken longer and been more complex, largely due to the pool's 2.5 miles of expansion joints.
Instead, the government hired Atlantic Industrial Coatings, which used products from Rhino Linings, a brand better known for truck-bed linings. Now, less than a month after application, portions of the blue layer appear to be peeling, while algae has again tinted the water green. The project's cost has also ballooned from an estimated $1.8 million to close to $15 million, drawing scrutiny from Democrats, including Rep. Robert Garcia, who's seeking documents from contractors on what he calls a "disastrous renovation."
Trump has blamed "radical left" vandals: The Justice Department says some caulk was cut and fence posts tossed in, and several people have been arrested. Some are speculating online that heavy equipment and trucks driving over the drained pool could have inflicted some damage as well; a presidential motorcade even cruised over it at one point in May.
Experts say the choice to use polyurea products raises technical questions that an in-depth "failure analysis" will need to sort out. Politico, meanwhile, has a piece on another DC reflecting pool that's managed to stay pristine. "The White House did not address questions about whether it had consulted with the legislative branch on how to maintain a water body before embarking on the Lincoln Memorial project," the outlet notes.
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