Reflecting Pool Saga Continues: New Algae Contractor
Goldlaner.com – The Reflecting Pool saga continues into yet another chapter. Last week the Department of the Interior awarded a $2.7 million, one-year contract to American Ag Energy, a Massachusetts company focused on renewable-energy technology, to repair the sewage and water-purification systems beneath the Lincoln Memorial’s iconic basin. The agreement includes an option for five additional years, which could push cumulative spending to $8.8 million. The Interior Department declined to explain how this newest obligation relates to work already completed on the pool, leaving visitors and taxpayers without a clear picture of what the new arrangement supersedes or supplements.
A Renewable-Energy Firm Steps Into a Water Problem
Richard Rosen, chief executive of American Ag Energy, said he first learned of the algae crisis through an internal channel — a company director flagged the issue before broader news coverage surfaced. Convinced his firm’s expertise was directly applicable, he reached out to the National Park Service.
“I realized that I actually knew how to solve this problem,” Rosen said. “They want me to solve it the right way, okay, and they’re doing a very good job, trying to do the right thing and I will be very helpful to them.”
Rosen characterized the agency’s approach as earnest and stated his intention to assist in resolving the water-quality failures that have plagued the basin since the early 1920s.
A Conviction Clouds the New Appointment
The contract award arrives with a complicating biographical footnote. During the 2016 presidential election cycle, Rosen was convicted of voter fraud after casting ballots in both Massachusetts and New Hampshire. The conviction carried a seven-day jail sentence and the loss of his voting rights in New Hampshire. Earlier this year, the New Hampshire Supreme Court reversed the judgment, ruling that a superior-court judge had made incorrect evidentiary rulings at trial. The case was remanded to Grafton County Superior Court, where charges may be refiled. Rosen said he is currently in mediation with the state attorney general’s office over the matter.
Costs Spiral Far Beyond Original Estimates
Financial overruns have been the project’s most persistent irritant. The president initially projected renovation expenses in the range of $2 million to $3 million, later revising the figure upward to “less than $20 million.” By the time the newest contract was factored in this summer, cumulative spending had already crossed the $14 million threshold. The work was launched under an executive order directing that the nation’s capital be made “safe and beautiful,” yet the execution has generated more controversy than aesthetic improvement.
The greenwater episode and its political connections deepen the confusion. After the president rode through the drained basin in May during a motorcade inspection, crews installed a liner dyed what was described as “American flag blue” across the pool floor. Upon refilling, algae rapidly turned the water green. The administration then turned to Greenwater Services, an Ohio-based firm whose co-owner, J.J. Cafaro, is a longtime Trump supporter and donor. Under a $1.7 million contract, Greenwater deployed ozone nanobubbler technology to treat the water. The algae problem persisted. Cafaro had pleaded guilty in 2001 to conspiracy to bribe Representative James Traficant Jr., an Ohio Democrat; Greenwater executives stated that Cafaro does not participate in the company’s day-to-day operations.
Compounding the water-quality failures, the blue liner at the basin’s bottom began peeling shortly after installation. The president attributed the damage to vandals. That characterization gained traction this summer when multiple individuals were arrested and charged with damaging the pool. For most defendants, the offense carried a maximum penalty of a $1,000 fine and 180 days in prison. The most high-profile case involved David Hearn, an Olympic canoeist, who was indicted in July on a felony charge of destruction of property carrying a potential sentence of up to ten years. The Department of Justice subsequently dropped the criminal case against Hearn. In a court filing, the office of U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro for the District of Columbia acknowledged that the Interior Department’s renovation of the pool had been “hasty and botched” — a characterization that drew sharp criticism from congressional members on both parties.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was awarded the latest contract to clean the algae? American Ag Energy, a Massachusetts firm specializing in renewable-energy technology, received a $2.7 million, one-year contract (with a five-year option) from the Department of the Interior to repair sewage and water-purification systems at the Lincoln Memorial basin.
How much has the renovation cost so far? Cumulative spending crossed $14 million before the newest contract was added. The original estimate was $2 million to $3 million; the figure was later revised to “less than $20 million.”
What happened to the David Hearn felony case? Hearn, an Olympic canoeist, was indicted in July on a felony destruction-of-property charge carrying up to ten years. The Department of Justice subsequently dropped the case.
Why was the water turned green? After a motorcade inspection in May, crews installed a blue-dyed liner. Upon refilling, algae rapidly colonized the water. A subsequent $1.7 million ozone-nanobubbler treatment by Greenwater Services failed to eliminate the problem.