Workers racing to turn reflecting pool blue for Trump may be at risk, union warns
Workers are rushing to repaint the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool in Washington DC with a blue coating ahead of the US 250th anniversary celebrations, raising safety concerns from a union representative. The project, awarded via a no-bid contract to Atlantic Industrial Coatings, has faced criticism over cost discrepancies and work quality issues. Union officials question the bypassing of competitive bidding and express worries about worker safety and compliance with standards.
- ▪The Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool is being repainted 'American flag blue' under a rushed renovation ahead of the July 4 celebrations.
- ▪The contract, initially said to cost $1.8 million, was revealed to be $13.1 million, and was awarded without competitive bidding to Atlantic Industrial Coatings.
- ▪Union representative Herbert Zaldivar raised concerns about worker safety, contract transparency, and the lack of competitive bidding.
- ▪Interior Department staff reported defects in the waterproofing layer, including bubbles, holes, and uneven blue coloring.
- ▪The project has drawn scrutiny amid claims that proper federal contracting procedures were not followed.
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| Original publisher | World news | The Guardian |
| Canonical URL | https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/may/17/trump-washington-dc-reflecting-pool |
| Publication time | Sun, 17 May 2026 10:00:36 GMT |
| Retrieval time | 2026-05-17T10:12:13.019Z |
| Last seen | 2026-05-17T10:37:55.604Z |
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Workers apply a blue protective coating as part of a renovation project to the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool in Washington DC on Friday. Photograph: Jacquelyn Martin/APView image in fullscreenWorkers apply a blue protective coating as part of a renovation project to the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool in Washington DC on Friday. Photograph: Jacquelyn Martin/APWashington DCWorkers racing to turn reflecting pool blue for Trump may be at risk, union warnsUnion representative concerned about safety as workers rush to finish repainting DC pool before 250th celebrationsRobert Tait in WashingtonSun 17 May 2026 06.00 EDTLast modified on Sun 17 May 2026 06.02 EDTSharePrefer the Guardian on GoogleWorkers renovating one of Washington DC’s most historically symbolic sites in a project ordered by…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at World news | The Guardian.
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