The company hired to renovate the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool says mistakes made during the project, not vandalism, caused the pool's new blue liner to peel, blister and pull away from the surface. According to documents reviewed by The New York Times and reported by several news organizations, contractor Atlantic Industrial Coatings concluded that problems during installation led to the damage that later became the center of a national controversy.
The company found that workers failed to apply enough primer in some sections of the liner system. It also determined that two chemical products used in separate layers did not work together as expected. According to the reports, heat from the upper layer caused the material underneath to blister and separate, leading to visible failures across parts of the pool, WTOP reported.
Those conclusions stand in contrast to repeated claims from President Donald Trump, who blamed vandals for the damage earlier this year. Trump publicly suggested people had intentionally cut or damaged the liner. Federal prosecutors initially charged several people, including former Olympic canoeist David Hearn, in connection with the case, The Hill reported.
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However, the Justice Department later dropped those cases after information provided during the investigation indicated the liner failures were linked to installation issues rather than criminal damage, according to The Hill. Court filings cited flaws in how the project was carried out and the rush to complete the work before Independence Day celebrations tied to the nation's 250th anniversary.
The reflecting pool project received a $14.7 million no-bid federal contract and was promoted as a high-profile effort to transform the historic landmark with a new "American flag blue" appearance, WUSA9 said. After the work was completed, visitors and observers reported algae growth, peeling material and floating fragments of the liner.
Atlantic Industrial Coatings has acknowledged responsibility for several of the failures and is now repairing the project under warranty. The reflecting pool remains drained while crews continue the work. The company says it is reviewing materials and installation methods as part of the repair effort, The Guardian reported.
The latest revelations add another chapter to a project that has generated political debate, legal battles and questions about how one of the nation's most recognizable landmarks ended up back under construction only months after a multimillion-dollar renovation, Axios said.
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