Dead ducks add to Trump's reflecting pool drama
Politico reports:
The discovery of a trio of dead ducks has prompted worries that President Donald Trump's $16 million overhaul of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool has a fatal flaw.
A local wildlife organization collected two deceased ducks, found at a pond adjacent to the pool Sunday. The same day, a Washington Examiner journalist documented another dead adolescent duck floating in shadow of the Lincoln Memorial. The presence of deceased waterfowl has sparked speculation of toxic algae, sometimes known as blue-green algae, or cyanobacteria, in the lime-green gunk that swiftly proliferated after the Trump administration installed a commercial pool liner earlier last month.
There is no confirmation of the potentially harmful algae in the pool, but City Wildlife — a leading local wildlife rehabilitation organization that collected the birds Sunday — plans to perform necropsies to help gauge if the birds could have been affected by the pool renovation.
The duck discoveries come amid near-daily drama at the normally placid memorial, where a no-bid renovation contract, an infusion of unsightly algae, peeling paint and public arrests have captured public attention in recent weeks. The president raises the issue of the renovation when he speaks to the press and has asserted criminal actions are at fault for many of the current problems at the pool.
"We appreciate everyone's concern for the duck family and other ducks currently visiting the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool as it undergoes continued repairs," City Wildlife said in a statement posted to its website. "City Wildlife's Duck Watch team continues to monitor the situation closely, including daily dedicated checks on the Reflecting Pool."
City Wildlife did not respond to requests for an interview and said in its statement posted online that it could not comment on the causes of the birds' death until after the necropsies are performed.
The Center for Biological Diversity asked the Fish and Wildlife Service on Tuesday to investigate the deaths under a federal law that protects migratory birds, criticizing the use of concentrated peroxide to kill algae.
Tara Zuardo, a senior campaigner at the Center for Biological Diversity, called the pool a "giant duck death trap."
"Instead of letting this administration's bizarre boondoggle keep killing innocent ducks, I hope the Fish and Wildlife Service steps in to do its job and protect America's wildlife," Zuardo said in a statement.
FWS did not immediately provide comment for this story.
The D.C. Department of Energy and Environment and the Interior Department did not respond to requests for comment on the waterfowl. Interior has previously said peroxide — used to combat the green scum in the pool — is a milder way to treat algae than chlorine and is used in spas and swimming pools.
"There are no harmful side effects to marine life or to the environment," the department said earlier this month.
The discovery of a trio of dead ducks has prompted worries that President Donald Trump's $16 million overhaul of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool has a fatal flaw.
A local wildlife organization collected two deceased ducks, found at a pond adjacent to the pool Sunday. The same day, a Washington Examiner journalist documented another dead adolescent duck floating in shadow of the Lincoln Memorial. The presence of deceased waterfowl has sparked speculation of toxic algae, sometimes known as blue-green algae, or cyanobacteria, in the lime-green gunk that swiftly proliferated after the Trump administration installed a commercial pool liner earlier last month.
There is no confirmation of the potentially harmful algae in the pool, but City Wildlife — a leading local wildlife rehabilitation organization that collected the birds Sunday — plans to perform necropsies to help gauge if the birds could have been affected by the pool renovation.
The duck discoveries come amid near-daily drama at the normally placid memorial, where a no-bid renovation contract, an infusion of unsightly algae, peeling paint and public arrests have captured public attention in recent weeks. The president raises the issue of the renovation when he speaks to the press and has asserted criminal actions are at fault for many of the current problems at the pool.
"We appreciate everyone's concern for the duck family and other ducks currently visiting the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool as it undergoes continued repairs," City Wildlife said in a statement posted to its website. "City Wildlife's Duck Watch team continues to monitor the situation closely, including daily dedicated checks on the Reflecting Pool."
City Wildlife did not respond to requests for an interview and said in its statement posted online that it could not comment on the causes of the birds' death until after the necropsies are performed.
The Center for Biological Diversity asked the Fish and Wildlife Service on Tuesday to investigate the deaths under a federal law that protects migratory birds, criticizing the use of concentrated peroxide to kill algae.
Tara Zuardo, a senior campaigner at the Center for Biological Diversity, called the pool a "giant duck death trap."
"Instead of letting this administration's bizarre boondoggle keep killing innocent ducks, I hope the Fish and Wildlife Service steps in to do its job and protect America's wildlife," Zuardo said in a statement.
FWS did not immediately provide comment for this story.
The D.C. Department of Energy and Environment and the Interior Department did not respond to requests for comment on the waterfowl. Interior has previously said peroxide — used to combat the green scum in the pool — is a milder way to treat algae than chlorine and is used in spas and swimming pools.
"There are no harmful side effects to marine life or to the environment," the department said earlier this month.
