DMB Cleans Up in Chi-Town

The Dave Matthews Band is hoping to extricate itself from a nasty jam.

After running afoul with Chicago authorities after the band's tour bus apparently dumped up to 800 pounds of liquid human waste into the Chicago River this summer, the usually eco-friendly rockers are hoping to make amends by making a $100,000 donation to two conservation groups to clean up the waterway.

After the alleged August incident, the Illinois Attorney General's Office sued DMB, seeking more than $70,000 in penalties for violating the state's water-pollution and public-nuisance laws.

In a statement posted on the group's Website, DMB does not admit to any wrongdoing, saying the band is still not certain whether its bus was the source of the stink.

But by donating $50,000 to the nonprofit group Friends of the Chicago River and $50,000 to the Chicago Park District, Matthews and mates say they hope to "begin the healing process" and take initial steps to resolving the matter.

"We know that we cannot erase what happened that day, but we hope by reaching out and helping now this will help demonstrate our commitment to step up if we are found to be the responsible party," the band says in a statement.

As of Monday morning, the state lawsuit was still pending.

Authorities say the dumping occurred on Aug. 8, when the band's bus pulled up alongside a metal grating on the Kedzie Bridge and emptied the contents of the vehicle's septic tank into the river.

According to state Attorney General Lisa Madigan, the waste rained down on a passing tour boat and many of the 100 passengers were struck by falling feces.

No one was seriously injured in the s--t storm. The captain made a U-turn and returned to dock, where reeking tourists were given refunds and the ship was thoroughly cleansed and sanitized.

Dave Matthews Band was not in the bus at the time. The group has temporarily suspended driver Stefan A. Wohl, who was alone in the vehicle, as Chi-Town police investigate.

Detectives say a security camera captured an image of the band's bus on the tape. However, Matthews' camp contends that the footage hasn't conclusively determined the driver was the responsible party. Wohl vehemently denies any part in the dumping.

With the probe dragging on, DMB says it decided to make the donations to affirm its commitment to the environment and the Windy City, even though the gesture is not expected to have any bearing on its settlement talks with the attorney general's office.

"As a first step, if we were the responsible party, we offer our deepest apologies to the passengers on the boat, the City of Chicago, our fans and those who have worked so hard to clean up the Chicago River," the band says. "Chicago is one of our favorite cities to play, and we love the city itself and our fans there."

There has been no word on whether any of the tainted tourists plan to take legal action. The band says it has been in touch with the boat's owner and tour operator about footing the bill for expenses incurred during the cleanup and tracking down the doused passengers.

"As we have said before, 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," the band's statement says. "We will continue to fight for these principles and seek to live up to the values they represent."

According to the Chicago Sun-Times, the money given to the Friends of the Chicago River will be set aside for an endowment to support education programs, including canoe trips and walking and bicycle tours. The donation to the Park District will go toward unspecified river-related improvements.

The Dave Matthews Band just wrapped up the Vote for Change Tour, where they joined Bruce Springsteen, R.E.M., James Taylor and Pearl Jam on a trek through swing states to help unseat President Bush in November's election.