Overview
- The New York Times published contractor and National Park Service records on Sept. 11 showing Atlantic Industrial Coatings told the government its own design and execution errors caused the blue liner to bubble, blister and peel.
- Atlantic’s reports, dated Aug. 14 and Sept. 2, identify specific failures: workers applied insufficient primer in places, the repair plan used two incompatible coating chemicals that caused the lower layer to blister when the top layer heated, and trapped moisture from a sweating worker may have worsened blisters.
- Federal prosecutors had charged several people with vandalism after the pool first failed, but the Justice Department moved to drop those cases in late July after evidence pointed to a botched installation rather than widespread sabotage.
- The project was fast-tracked for the July 4 semiquincentennial and awarded without full competition for about $14.7 million; Atlantic says the pool is under warranty and is performing ongoing repairs while the basin remains drained and fenced.
- The disclosures undercut public vandalism claims, increase the likelihood of congressional and inspector-general reviews, and leave open possible legal fallout for procurement choices and for people who were prosecuted before charges were dismissed.