A cultural nonprofit sued the Trump administration Monday to block its ongoing repainting of the reflecting pool on the National Mall to make it \u201cAmerican Flag Blue.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In papers filed in federal court in Washington, attorneys for the Cultural Landscape Foundation argue that the resurfacing of the historic pool is \u201cunlawful\u201d and that it should be restored to its original color until the administration follows congressionally mandated procedures to do the work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The lawsuit asks a judge to immediately stop the work, which is being directed and overseen by President Donald Trump, who chose the color himself. Trump has said he expects the work to be finished within the next two weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The suit says the color is the main issue with the work being done on the 104-year-old pool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe dark grey, achromatic basin was not incidental to the design. It was the design,\u201d attorney Alexander Kristofcak wrote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe 1999 National Park Service Cultural Landscape Report for the Lincoln Memorial Grounds specifically identifies the dark-tiled basin as a character-defining feature of the historic landscape, noting that \u2018the dark color of the tile created the illusion of greater depth and a more profound reflection,\u2019\u201d the suit says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe new coloration will cause the pool to resemble a large swimming pool rather than the reflective civic landscape it was designed to be, distorting the experience of the site for the millions of visitors who come to it each year.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The White House referred a request for comment on the suit to the Interior Department. A spokesperson for the agency said in a statement that the new color \u201cwill enhance the visitor experience by making the pool reflect the grand Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The spokesperson added that the National Park Service \u201cis also investing in a state-of-the-art ozone nanobubbler filtration system and will now have a dedicated crew who will maintain the grounds from wildlife.\u201d The statement said the work will \u201censure this magical spot can be enjoyed for not only our 250th\u201d national birthday celebration \u201cbut for many generations to come.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Trump touted the new color when he visited the site last week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s going to be a beautiful color,\u201d he said. \u201cThe color was never good, because basically it had a gray stone underneath, whether it was the concrete or the granite, it was a gray stone. And now we actually picked the color, it was called American Flag Blue, and so you can\u2019t do better than that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The suit alleges the administration has ignored proper procedures, including following Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, which requires agencies to engage in a process of consultation before the make changes to historic properties by consulting with experts and nonprofit organizations with relevant expertise that provide input on proposed changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo consulting parties have been notified, engaged, or given an opportunity to participate,\u201d it says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The suit notes that the current administration has a history of plowing ahead with such changes without following lawful procedure. It faces similar lawsuits related to construction projects involving the White House ballroom and the Kennedy Center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis latest desecration of the reflecting pool is part of a pattern\u2014epitomized most notably by the rush to destroy the East Wing of the White [House]\u2014in which this Administration willfully disregards legal limits established by Congress,\u201d the suit says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The group argued that time is of the essence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEvery day that the resurfacing continues, the historic character of the Reflecting Pool is being further and fundamentally altered,\u201d the suit says. \u201cThe Court should act now, halt further resurfacing, and require Defendants to comply with the law they have bypassed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Trump announced the project on April 23. \u201cIn another couple of weeks, we\u2019re going to have the most beautiful reflective pool between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial that you\u2019ve ever seen,\u201d he said, calling the work necessary because the pool \u201cwas filthy, dirty, and it leaked like a sieve for many years.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
An Interior Department official said that the pool leaks 16 million gallons a year and that the coating material being used is leak-proof.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The New York Times, citing federal records, reported Monday that the government is paying $13.1 million for the project through a no-bid contract awarded to Atlantic Industrial Coatings, which previously performed work at Trump\u2019s property in Sterling, Virginia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
NBC News has not independently verified the figure. Asked to comment, the spokesperson for the Interior Department said, \u201cThe contract price reflects the effort necessary to expedite the timeline of completing the leak prevention coating project\u2014more people, more materials, more equipment and longer hours ahead of our 250th.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The department also said the park service \u201cchose the best company to expedite the repair of the iconic Reflecting Pool ahead of our 250 celebrations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Trump told reporters last week the work is being done at a bargain rate, citing a figure much smaller than the one the Times reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSo we had estimates to fix it of about $355 million and it was going to take 3\u00bd years, you can see by the size of it. And so we\u2019re going to be able to do it for about $1.8 million, and it\u2019s going to take one week, and we\u2019ll be finished. I guess I\u2019m going to give him a little more time. Let\u2019s give it two weeks, but we\u2019re pretty, a lot of the hard work is done,\u201d he said then. \u201cThe beautiful work is now,\u201d he added, referring to the paint job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The color is \u201clike a swimming pool, but industrial strength, much stronger. And I think you\u2019re going to see something that\u2019s amazing,\u201d Trump said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Trump said Monday afternoon at a White House event with college football champions Indiana University, \u201cWe saved about $600 million or something\u201d on the pool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt took us two weeks versus the projected four years,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019ll open in about two weeks, and it\u2019s going to be incredible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Trump has embarked on a number of major renovations since he returned to office, many of which are caught up in legal challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A federal judge has ordered work on his much-discussed ballroom to be halted, but an appeals court has allowed it to proceed at least temporarily while it considers the government\u2019s appeal. Challenges to the closure and renovation work at the Kennedy Center, as well as the addition of Trump\u2019s name to the center, are also pending.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Concerns over how quickly the administration has been acting have also led to a preventive suit over Trump\u2019s plans to build a 250-foot-high arch near the Potomac River. A federal judge has ordered the National Park Service to provide her with 14 days\u2019 notice before any construction occurs on Memorial Circle in furtherance of the arch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n