Errors Cause Damage to Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool Liner

The contractor that renovated the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool informed the Trump administration that errors in its own work and a flawed repair plan, rather than vandalism, caused the pool’s new blue liner to peel and break loose. This information is based on government documents reviewed by The New York Times.

President Trump has repeatedly blamed vandals for the damage to the pool’s “American flag blue” liner, even after the Justice Department dropped charges against accused individuals. However, documents, which have not been previously reported, indicate that the contractor, Atlantic Industrial Coatings, identified flaws in both the design and the execution of the renovation. This evidence includes Atlantic’s reports to the government and daily updates from the National Park Service over the last two months.

Atlantic Industrial Coatings blamed its own errors in a report dated August 14, providing more details by September 2. The Justice Department started dismissing cases on July 31 after initially charging several individuals with vandalizing the pool in early July.

Due to “human oversight,” workers failed to apply enough primer to make the liner layers adhere in some areas, Atlantic stated in the documents. But the larger issue was a repair plan described in the contract that involved using two incompatible chemicals within the layers of the liner.

The ongoing repairs involved spraying a blue coating as workers continued efforts to restore the pool. This situation underscores the importance of accurate planning and execution in renovation projects to prevent similar incidents.