Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool drained for second time as Trump admin resumes repairs
WASHINGTON, DC: The Trump administration has begun draining the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool for the second time in three months as officials prepare another round of repairs after weeks of recurring problems.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said crews started the work on Sunday after the July Fourth fireworks show, with the latest effort focusing on cleaning debris, repairing damage and restoring the landmark.
Doug Burgum says repairs began after July Fourth
In an interview released Tuesday with conservative podcaster Katie Miller, Burgum said the pool was drained as planned after the holiday celebrations because fireworks debris remained in the water.
Asked about the repair schedule, he offered only a broad outline.
"Drain the water. Clean up the fireworks stuff. Repair the vandalism that was done. Fill it back up again," Burgum said.
As of Tuesday evening, water still remained in the pool, and Burgum suggested it may only need to be partially drained this time.
Same contractor returns as repair timeline remains unclear
The administration will once again use Virginia-based Atlantic Industrial Coatings, which previously received a no-bid contract worth more than $14 million to seal the pool and paint its bottom "American Flag-blue."
Eddie Gross, the company's owner, told CNN that "nothing has been set yet" regarding the repair schedule and declined to discuss the contract or additional costs.
The Department of the Interior also did not provide a timeline.
Burgum said the latest repairs should be inexpensive because "the majority of the work was related to the labor and the materials for the liner."
"We'll use the same company, because they did a fantastic job," he added.
Burgum defends vandalism claims and Trump's motorcade visit
The Reflecting Pool has faced repeated issues in recent weeks, including algae blooms, green water, a chipping bottom and claims of vandalism.
Trump administration officials, including President Donald Trump, have blamed vandals for slashing the pool's liner but have not publicly released evidence.
Burgum insisted the government could "absolutely" prove vandalism and said photographs exist, though he did not say whether they showed anyone damaging the pool.
He also dismissed claims that Trump's motorcade damaged the site during a May visit.
"No, I was with him when we came that night … We were driving in a Cadillac Escalade. It is one of the presidential fleet of cars," Burgum said, adding that the SUV was lighter than the presidential limousine known as "The Beast."
"The whole base level of this industrial rubber layer was not yet completed, and so there was no damage that night whatsoever," he said.
Greenwater Services, another contractor working on the project, said draining the Reflecting Pool will not affect its equipment.
Company president Chas Antinone told CNN the ozone nanobubbler system can be shut down and restarted whenever needed.
