Interior Secretary Doug Burgum announced Sunday that the repair work on the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool will be handled by the same company that previously revived the landmark, bypassing competitive bidding. In an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Burgum defended the decision, stating, “We’ll use the same company, because they did a fantastic job.”
Green Water Solutions, an Ohio-based firm, originally secured a $1.7 million contract to install nanobubbler ozone technology aimed at controlling algae growth and to add an industrial liner to the pool’s bottom to prevent leaks. The Trump administration has blamed vandals for cutting the liner with a sharp object, prompting urgent repairs.
Burgum downplayed the extent of the damage but acknowledged its potential cost. “Thankfully, the vandalism was small. It was, it was bad. I mean, it could cost tens of thousands of dollars to repair, so then it could fall into a felony, felony thing, just like damaging any other government property could,” he told host Dana Bash.
The no-bid contract has drawn scrutiny, especially given the administration’s broader push to streamline federal spending. Another firm, Atlantic Industrial Coatings, held a separate $14.7 million contract to repaint and waterproof the pool’s concrete floor, according to the Associated Press.
President Trump and U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro have vowed to prosecute those responsible for the vandalism. More than five individuals have been arrested in connection with the incident, as officials work to restore the site. Pirro is expected to brief the press on the probe later this week, according to a recent report.
Burgum emphasized the quality of the initial restoration, saying, “The job that was done to fix the reflecting pool was done extremely well, and hopefully we can move on from this and just talk about, you know, how we continue to do things like take care of this deferred maintenance problem.” He added that President Trump is ready to sign the Great American Outdoors Act, which would allocate $1.9 billion annually from fiscal years 2021 to 2025 to address aging infrastructure across federal lands, particularly benefiting the National Park Service.
The president renewed funding for the program on Friday, tying it to the America 250 celebration. The legislation aims to tackle deferred maintenance problems nationwide, including at sites like the National Mall.
