Norton Assured by NPS of Washington Monument Elevator’s Safety; Monitors in Place to Pinpoint Causation

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today met with National Park Service (NPS) officials to determine if NPS had a permanent solution to the issues with the Washington Monument's elevator that have arisen due to electrical problems two years in a row as tourist season began. Norton met with National Mall and Memorial Parks Superintendent Karen Cucurullo, Deputy Superintendent Sean Kennealy, Chief of Maintenance Joseph Salvatore, and Public Affairs Officer Michael Litterst. They assured Norton that the Washington Monument's elevator is safe and that if another electrical surge occurs, the elevator will deliver passengers to the nearest level and a park ranger, who is in the elevator at all times to ensure passengers' safety, will help escort passengers off the elevator if needed. Each elevator carries up to 18 passengers. Norton had been particularly concerned whether the solution to the electrical problem was in the hands of NPS, a contractor, or elsewhere. NPS reported that the electrical surge is not an internal issue with the Monument or the elevator itself, but rather with the external power source not controlled by NPS. Norton appreciated the candor of officials in indicating that they did not yet know the exact cause for the electrical surges or outages, and that they have set up four monitors to collect the necessary data in order to pinpoint an exact cause should there be another issue. Norton hopes this evidence-based approach will settle the issue of causation.

"My priority today was to ensure the elevator is safe and that elevator problems have been resolved to the best extent possible," Norton said. "After hearing today's briefing, I would not hesitate to bring my 3-year-old grandson and his brother, who is two months old, to ride the elevator to the top of the monument. I hope that the thousands of visitors who come to the nation's capital during this busy tourist season are also reassured."

NPS reported the elevator operates 13 hours a day, seven days a week, from Memorial Day until Labor Day, and eight hours a day, seven days of the week, the rest of the year.