DMB Pay for Bus Dumping
Dave Matthews Band is donating $50,000 to both the Friends of the
Chicago River and the Chicago Park District as investigations
continue into allegations that the group’s tour bus dumped human
waste into the river and onto a passing tour boat.
“We have been working with Chicago authorities to resolve our
questions about the bus incident,” reads a statement from the band.
“Those authorities have graciously cooperated. Unfortunately we
still do not have a definitive understanding of what happened and
are continuing to investigate the matter. However, we are not
comfortable with the time it is taking us, and we have decided to
take action now even though it may turn out the incident was not
caused by one of our buses. We simply want to begin the healing
process.”
The city filed suit against the band and its driver in August,
charging them with violating water pollution and public nuisance
laws, and seeking $70,000 in damages.
“This incident may be unique,” Attorney General Lisa Madigan
said at the time, “but that does not lessen the environmental or
public health risks posed by the release of at least 800 pounds of
liquid human waste into a busy waterway and onto a crowded tour
boat.”
Dave Matthews Band maintains that the driver, who has since been
suspended by the group, was the only person on the bus during the
time in question, and he maintains that he did not dump the waste.
“This incident has been especially troubling for the Dave Matthews
Band family and we appreciate your patience as we work through it,”
the statement continues. “What happened to the people on the boat
is awful and it goes against so many principles we hold dear:
environmentalism, accountability, and, mostly, principles of
humanity. We will continue to fight for these principles, and seek
to live up to the values they represent.”