Another contractor, same algae problem: Trump admin spends $2.7M more on Reflecting Pool
WASHINGTON, DC: The Reflecting Pool is bracing for another restoration project as the algae problem doesn’t appear to be going anywhere, prompting the Trump administration to hire another contractor to clean the water.
The restored Reflecting Pool, which was supposed to be a showcase for the country's 250th birthday, remains engulfed in an algae problem.
Trump blamed the algae outbreak on intentional vandalism. However, Attorney General Jeanine Pirro said the damage was caused by the fast-tracked construction.
Trump admin hires another contractor to clean the Reflecting Pool
The Reflecting Pool debacle is going nowhere anytime soon, as the Trump administration has hired another contractor to get rid of the algae problem, adding around $2.7 million in cost to the project.
The Department of Interior, which is overseeing the renovation project, will pay $2.7 million to American Ag Energy.
The Massachusetts-based company specializes in renewable energy technology for repairs and maintenance of sewage and water purification systems at pools.
The $2.7 million contract was signed last week and can go up to $8.8 million. Additionally, the one-year contract can be extended for five additional years.
New contractor's CEO says he can solve it
The American Ag Energy CEO, Richard Rosen, told CNN that he learned about the algae problem from one of the directors of his company and later read a news report about it.
“I realized that I actually knew how to solve this problem,” Rosen said.
The new contract has not just added to existing pool drama but also raised questions over the contract award to a controversial CEO.
Last year, Rosen was convicted of voter fraud for casting ballots twice in the 2016 election, once in Massachusetts and the other time in New Hampshire.
Rosen faced a seven-day jail sentence along with losing his right to vote in New Hampshire. The state Supreme Court overturned the conviction earlier this year, ruling that the lower court judge had made incorrect evidentiary decisions during the trial.
Rosen said he’s in mediation with the New Hampshire attorney general’s office over the charges, which can be refiled after the case was remanded back to the Grafton County Superior Court.
This is not the main concern; the main concern is rooted in the project’s cost, which has escalated over the course of the year.
The president initially estimated renovations to cost around $2 to $3 million but later revised the projection to “less than $20 million.” Now, with the newest contract factored in, the cost has surpassed $14 million.
