Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jun 19
Lincoln Reflecting Pool Contract Faces Scrutiny After $1.7 Million Cleanup Fails
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jun 19

Lincoln Reflecting Pool Contract Faces Scrutiny After $1.7 Million Cleanup Fails

2 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jun 19

Summary

  • $1.7 million in National Park Service work to install a purification system at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is under scrutiny after algae blooms returned and turned the water green again.
  • The agency bypassed the competitive-bidding process and awarded the contract this spring to Greenwater Services, a Brookfield, Ohio, company.
  • Federal records tie Greenwater's ultimate ownership to the J.J. Cafaro Investment Trust, led by John J. Cafaro, a longtime Trump donor and Mar-a-Lago neighbor.
  • The setback revives questions about the contract's award because Trump had highlighted the pool's American-flag blue color after the cleanup.

Insights

Why did a new purification system fail, leading to a $14.2M contract to dye the historic Reflecting Pool blue?
With costs soaring past $15M, what oversight ensures no-bid contracts for national monuments are effective and necessary?
Can new technology solve the Reflecting Pool's chronic algae problem without sacrificing its historical character?