Contractor blames Lincoln Memorial problems on itself, not vandals: Report

The contractor responsible for the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool renovation has acknowledged that internal mistakes caused the pool's new blue liner to peel and blister, rather than vandalism as previously suspected. A new report details that Atlantic Industrial Coatings determined its workers failed to apply a sufficient amount of primer in specific areas and improperly used two materials during the repair process.

The admission clarifies the cause of the structural damage to the prominent Washington, D.C. monument's reflecting pool. The findings shift accountability directly to the construction practices employed by the contractor during the recent renovation project.