Reflecting Pool liner failed in 85 places after flawed renovation, inspection found

Key Points:

• An inspection report revealed that the blue coating applied to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool failed in at least 85 places due to errors such as premature refilling before the liner dried, improper materials, and rushed work to meet the nation’s 250th anniversary deadline.
• The contractor, Atlantic Industrial Coatings (AIC), which completed the $14.7 million renovation under a no-bid contract, attributed the failures mainly to human error and misapplication of materials, promising to cover repair costs under warranty.
• Despite President Trump and officials blaming vandalism for the damage, the report found no evidence of vandalism causing the liner failures, and charges against accused vandals were dismissed after new findings.
• The inspection identified key issues including peeling along expansion joints due to inflexible materials, insufficient curing times, and improper mixing of coating materials, with recommendations to adhere strictly to curing guidelines and test products before application.
• AIC’s repair plan includes using more flexible materials over expansion joints, different primers, and smaller, supervised crews to ensure quality, while the Interior Department insists the contractor is obligated to fix the pool and address vandalism-related damage separately.