18 years ago today; A very crappy day in Chicago.

On August 8, 2004, a Dave Matthews Band tour bus dumped an estimated 800 pounds of human waste from the bus's septic tank onto a passenger sightseeing boat on the Chicago River below.

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While passing under the bridge, the boat received the full contents of the tank on the seats of its open-roof terrace. Roughly two-thirds of the 120 passengers aboard the tour boat were soaked.
The liquid waste was brownish yellow in color, and had a foul, offensive odor. The liquid human waste went into passengers' eyes, mouths, hair, and onto clothing and personal belongings, many of which were soaked. Some of the passengers suffered nausea and vomiting as a result of exposure to the human waste.

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In March 2005, Wohl pleaded guilty to reckless conduct and discharging contaminants to cause water pollution. He was sentenced to 18 months of probation, as well as 150 hours of community service and paid a fine of $10,000 to Friends of the Chicago River, an environmental organization responsible for maintaining the river. The Dave Matthews Band donated an additional $50,000 to Friends of the Chicago River, as well as $50,000 to the Chicago Park District, and paid the State of Illinois $200,000 as a settlement. The Dave Matthews Band additionally agreed to keep a log of when and where its buses empty their septic tanks.

No passengers suffered any long-lasting physical health effects from the exposure. It is now a city-wide day of mourning and service. [

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Original (?) Article