Lincoln Memorial’s Reflecting Pool to Undergo Restoration
WASHINGTON — The company that originally applied the “Stars and Stripes Blue” sealant to the Lincoln Memorial’s reflecting pool will handle the upcoming restoration, announced Interior Secretary Doug Burgum.
Officials from the Trump administration plan to drain a portion of the 6.75 million-gallon reservoir and fix the damaged liner soon, after several pieces of sealant have started to flake off.
“We’re choosing the same firm because they’ve performed well before,” Burgum mentioned during an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday.
The Trump administration had previously drained the reflecting pool in April, spending around $16 million to line the bottom, repair leaks, and install a system to combat algae. However, after reopening, the pool quickly experienced an algae bloom. Crews have since injected hydrogen peroxide, which is commonly found in paint strippers, to help control the algae.
After the renovation, observers noticed pieces of the blue sealant peeling away, turning the situation into a local spectacle due to President Trump’s well-documented commitment to rejuvenating the reflecting pool, which has faced leakage and algae issues for years.
President Trump and officials from the Justice Department have attributed the sealant’s removal to vandalism. Recently, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro announced charges against former Olympic canoeist David Hahn for causing damage to the liner. Hahn could be facing a ten-year prison sentence, and his lawyer has stated they will challenge the charges.
The Department of the Interior utilized Virginia-based Atlantic Industrial Coatings for the sealant application on the large pool. Interestingly, during the renovation phase, there were reports that President Trump drove his motorcade over the reflecting pool, leading some critics to speculate that this may have contributed to the sealant’s peeling.
Burgum clarified that he was present during Trump’s visit that evening and noted that Trump was not in the heavily armored “Beast” limousine. Instead, they were in a lighter Cadillac Escalade. He maintained that the foundation of the industrial rubber layer had not yet been completed, suggesting that no damage occurred at that time.
