Reflecting Pool Reno Fails
Trump-linked renovation faces peeling sealant and algae fallout.
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Updated Jun 18, 8:28pm ETBoth sides, every morning
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The reporting
Mostly LeftPresident Donald Trump’s multimillion-dollar renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool has run into visible trouble days after crews refilled the landmark. The “American Flag Blue” coating or sealant applied to the basin is ripping, peeling and floating toward the surface, while algae has turned the water a bright green. The project, promoted by Trump as a quick cleanup, has drawn scrutiny because its cost has climbed from an initial claim of about $1 million to roughly $14 million or more. The failures have undercut administration claims that the pool had been restored and left officials facing questions about the materials, timing and contractor choices behind the makeover.
Analysis & opinion
Algae FightMostly Left
The administration is battling a major algae bloom in the Reflecting Pool after the $14.2 million refurbishment, with reports describing some of the highest June algae levels recorded there in years. Officials have downplayed the outbreak and touted new treatment efforts, including “nanobubbler” technology, even as critics mock the green water, added cleanup costs and comparisons to wartime rhetoric.
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