Reflecting Pool liner was cut with a sharp knife or razor, National Park Service says
The agency cited vandalism, algae and peeling material as it prepares repairs and a legal fight over the pool’s blue repainting.
- NPS Deputy Director for Operations Frank Lands announced in a court filing Wednesday that the National Park Service will drain and repair the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool after July Fourth to assess and fix lining damage.
- This repair follows allegations of vandalism, including reports of cuts in the pool's foam sealant. Internal records reported by The New York Times found two 171-foot cuts without specifying how they occurred.
- Recent operational challenges include rapid algae blooms and peeling material, forcing the administration to install an "ozone nanobubbler" filtration system. President Donald Trump took personal interest in the project earlier this year to "beautify" the capital.
- An Interior Department spokesperson told CNN Thursday that 18 police reports were filed regarding vandalism, with seven individuals arrested. Meanwhile, a nonprofit continues to sue the administration, arguing the project violated federal consultation requirements.
- Visitors to Washington have expressed mixed reactions, with some calling the restoration a "waste" of taxpayer dollars while others found it satisfactory. The upcoming repairs mark another chapter since the pool's two-year renovation in 2012.
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Trump says he will repair National Mall reflecting pool after July 4
The reflecting pool, located between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument, was the subject of a roughly $14 million Trump-directed renovation that aimed to restore and recolor the basin
White House condemns 'targeted sabotage' of reflecting pool as repairs pushed past July 4 celebration
National Park Service plans to drain the reflecting pool after Independence Day to repair damage from alleged vandalism, according to a court document released by the White House.
NPS Official Confirms Razor Cuts Destroyed Lincoln Memorial Pool Liner
A federal official confirmed under oath that the liner of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool was deliberately sliced with a sharp knife or razor blade earlier this month, according to court documents filed Wednesday. Frank Lands, the deputy director of operations at the National Park Service, made the disclosure in a sworn declaration submitted as part of a federal lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s renovation of the pool. Lands st…
Reflecting Pool Liner Was Damaged With a Knife or Razor: National Park Service
The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in the nation’s capital was damaged by a knife or razor, a federal official said on June 24. The National Park Service found damage to the reflecting pool earlier in June, “including a caulk over the foam sealant that was cut with a sharp knife or razor and destruction of delaminating surface material,” Frank Lands, deputy director for operations for the service, said in a court filing. Additionally, around 7…
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