Trump says repairs to algae-plagued Reflecting Pool will begin immediately
US President Donald Trump says he has "inspected" the Reflecting Pool in Washington DC, and that "work will begin immediately" to repair the American landmark
US President Donald Trump says he has "inspected" the Reflecting Pool in Washington DC, and that "work will begin immediately" to repair the American landmark. Despite a recent multi-million dollar renovation, including a fresh coat of blue paint, the historic structure continues to face issues - most prominently algae turning the water a bright shade of green. The pool may need to be drained and refilled for a second time this month, according to Trump, who flew over the site in a helicopter on Sunday while on his way back from Camp David.
It comes as Trump claims the pool's paint has been marred by vandals ahead of the 250th anniversary of the country's 4 July independence day. US Attorney for Washington DC Jeanine Pirro has vowed to aggressively prosecute anyone found to have damaged the pool. "Anyone who is in a position of vandalising or attempting to vandalise will face the criminal justice system in DC," she told Fox News on Sunday. According to a senior Trump administration official, five people have been arrested for vandalism and five more were issued with citations by police on Saturday night.
A total of 14 police reports have been filed, the official told CBS, the BBC's US partner, including one person who Trump claimed had used a blade "put a 250 foot long gash into the beautiful facade". US Park Police, the federal police agency which patrol the monuments on the Mall, did not reply to a BBC email requesting confirmation of the arrest figures. The Reflecting Pool, built in the 1920s and stretching 2,030ft (619m) between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument, has long been beset by leaks, structural deterioration, faulty pipes, algae growth and bird droppings.
But despite the makeover, which cost an estimated $13m (£9.8m), the pool has continued to be plagued by algae and more recently paint problems, which have seen media and park visitors document pieces of the new paint job peeling from the bottom of the pool.
The BriefWire