# Dave Matthews Band Dumps the Black Tank!



## California Jim (Dec 11, 2003)

*The story says it all:*























Dave Matthews Band Offers DNA To ID Waste
Web Site Says Bus Driver Is 'Part Of Family'

POSTED: 10:47 am EDT August 30, 2004
UPDATED: 1:58 pm EDT August 30, 2004

CHICAGO -- The Dave Matthews Band pleaded for patience from its fans and the people of Chicago as police continued to investigate allegations that a bus the band used dumped human waste onto a tour boat in the Chicago River earlier this month.

"We are not attempting to avoid any responsibility," a statement on the band's Web site posted Sunday read. "If we were responsible for what happened, we will work quickly to make amends."

The band was cooperating fully with authorities, the statement said, and the band offered photographic evidence, license plate numbers, access to its drivers and tour manager, as well as DNA samples from band members.

The band emphasized its love for Chicago and its people, but also a sense of loyalty to a driver who has worked with the band for five years, according to the release.

"In that time he has earned our respect and trust and on a personal level he has become part of the family," the statement said.

The band also stated that it had yet to see all the evidence, and had a "few narrow but critical questions related to what we have seen of the evidence in the media."

Police were conferring with the Illinois Attorney General's office, the Cook County State's attorney's office and the U.S. Attorney's office to determine if criminal charges would be appropriate, Belmont Area Cmdr. Michael Chasen said at a Wednesday news conference.

Charges had not been filed as of 8 a.m. Monday, police News Affairs Dep. Director Pat Camden said, though police were still investigating.

Police showed a security video Wednesday of a bus they said was used by the Dave Matthews Band, and was the source of the human waste dumped on Aug. 8 on a Chicago Architecture Foundation tour boat as it passed beneath the Kinzie Street Bridge.

The footage showed a tour bus with a white base crossing the bridge less than two minutes before a police report stated the waste rained down on the boat passengers, Chasen said.

The video clocked the bus passing at 1:18 p.m. and 18 seconds, while the police report stated the boat passengers were struck with the waste at about 1:20 p.m., Chasen said.

No other buses crossed the bridge on the video for 15 minutes before or after, he added.

One of the boat passengers, who had noted seeing a long black tour bus passing overhead when the waste poured down, later saw a similar bus in the downtown area, and gave its license plate number to the architecture foundation, which in turn notified police, Chasen said.

Police traced the plate to the Four Seasons Coach Leasing company in Lebanon, Tenn., and learned that the company had leased 10 buses to the Dave Matthews Band, Chasen said.

Police did not know the license plate number of the bus captured in the video, Chasen said.

The Illinois Attorney General's office filed a civil lawsuit against the band on Tuesday, accusing them of dumping the waste.

The suit claimed that either the band or its bus driver, Stefan A. Wohl, dumped between 80 and 100 gallons of the "foul-smelling, offensive" waste from the bus down through an open grating in the bridge.

That waste splashed onto the approximately 109 tour boat passengers, including disabled people, senior citizens, a pregnant woman, a small child and an infant, the suit stated.

The suit charges both the band and Wohl with violating state water pollution laws, as well as common law public nuisance laws. It seeks a penalty of $60,000 for the water pollution violation and $10,000 for a permit violation, according to the Illinois Attorney General's office.

The case was assigned to Presiding Chancery Judge Dorothy Kinnaird for a case management hearing in January.


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## NDJollyMon (Aug 22, 2003)

Yuck!


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## fixjet (Jan 19, 2004)

We here in Illinois have been following this for a while now in the local news. These tour boats are large with open upper decks for looking up at the skyline as you pass down the river thought the tall buidings. So normally everyone is looking up.


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## Thor (Apr 7, 2004)

This is not good for anyone







.

I hope people were not smiling and looking up.

Thor


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## fixjet (Jan 19, 2004)

They were, they had it in their eyes, mouths, etc. Some were transported to Hospitals.


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## Y-Guy (Jan 30, 2004)

I read the band was providing DNA to prove it wasn't from their bus.


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## illinoisboy (Jun 11, 2004)

Y-Guy said:


> I read the band was providing DNA to prove it wasn't from their bus.


This am's Chicago AP wire says that the band offered the DNA to " help authorities determine the source of the sewage ". The Band further states it will " work quickly to make amends " if found to be responsible for the accident . What stupidity. Now watch for the millions of dollars in lawsuits. Fixjet-where you from in Illinois. We are from the northwestern side by the Mississippi River.


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## Cats4Nat (Jan 28, 2004)

80 -100 gallons!!!.....That is so disgusting I cant even imagine....say cheese honey!.....UGH!!

Too cheap for the $5 dump fee at local KOA!

Geesh, I am stunned!!

Really stunned!

Absolutely stunned!!!

I feel total guilt if a little grey water sneaks out....we use basin under hose connections in case and than later dump into sewer.

Geesh, did I mention I was stunned!!

Overtime for forensics to break down whose waste is whose.....ah, honey, I am going to be late for dinner...we have this big case and......

Sandra


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## Mac (Mar 26, 2004)

Possibly it could have been a malfunction of the system. I don't know how you would open the black water valve while traveling over a bridge. I didn't think it was possible unless someone deliberately got out and activated the valve. It sounds in the article that when the RV was spotted on the bridge it was in motion traveling across the bridge?

I'm not trying to defend the guilty, just pointing out that even if it was them, it doesn't mean that they did it on purpose.


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## fixjet (Jan 19, 2004)

Illinoisboy, I'm from Oregon, IL but I'm in Belvidere for the last 18 years, after stints in Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.


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## illinoisboy (Jun 11, 2004)

fixjet said:


> Illinoisboy, I'm from Oregon, IL but I'm in Belvidere for the last 18 years, after stints in Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.


Nice to meet you. Went through Oregon many times to visit my relatives in Rockford using old Route 2. Lived in Erie all my life. Bought our Outback at Colliers in Rockford.


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## dougdogs (Jul 31, 2004)

Mac said:


> Possibly it could have been a malfunction of the system. I don't know how you would open the black water valve while traveling over a bridge. I didn't think it was possible unless someone deliberately got out and activated the valve. It sounds in the article that when the RV was spotted on the bridge it was in motion traveling across the bridge?
> 
> I'm not trying to defend the guilty, just pointing out that even if it was them, it doesn't mean that they did it on purpose.


I'm not trying to lessen the severity of what happened, but I can provide some information that is not provided in the articles about this incident. I spent about 9 years working for various professional rock and roll bands, and probably spent about three years of my life living on these tour busses. 98% of these busses are leased from either Qounections (west coast) or Thrasher (east coast) Providing DNA doesn't mean diddly squat, because I have been on more than one "tank modified" tour bus. The driver of this vehicle is, of course, responsible for what happens with this vehicle. I have seen more than one tour bus that has had a 24volt solenoid valve added to the waste gate of the black water tank, so the driver could control discharge without leaving his seat. I knew one driver who seemed to enjoy targeting tailgaters.

One other item, again this is not meant to lessen the severity, but NO bus driver allows the renters to deposit solid waste in tour bus toilets. The drivers will stop at the next possible restaurant/gas station/rest stop at the request of anyone on board the bus.

It is terrible about what happened to the people on the boat. The driver and/or bus owner are in a lot of trouble. This will haunt the Dave Matthews Band for the foreseeable future, but I don't feel Dave Matthews is the responsible party here.

At least, no solid waste was involved.


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## California Jim (Dec 11, 2003)

As a follow-up to this story, here is the end result posted by the AP today:

(03-09) 10:10 PST Chicago (AP) --

A bus driver for the Dave Matthews Band pleaded guilty Wednesday to dumping 800 pounds of human waste from the vehicle's septic tank onto a sightseeing boat on the Chicago River last summer.

The driver, Stefan Wohl, was sentenced to 18 months probation, 150 hours of community service and the maximum $10,000 fine, which will be paid to Friends of the Chicago River, said Tom Stanton, a spokesman for the Cook County State's Attorney's office.

Wohl, 42, of Selma, Texas, pleaded guilty to the original charges filed against him in January, reckless conduct and discharging contaminates to cause water pollution, Stanton said.

According to authorities, Wohl was alone in the bus of band violinist Boyd Tinsley on his way to a downtown hotel Aug. 8 when he emptied the bus' septic tank as it crossed the metal grates of the Kinzie Street bridge.

The human waste poured through the grates and onto the open deck of the Chicago's Little Lady tour boat, which was passing below with more than 100 people on board.

The boat immediately returned to its dock and was disinfected, and officials with the Chicago Architectural Foundation, which operates the tour, offered refunds. They said they received several calls from angry passengers who also demanded compensation for clothing and personal items.

When Wohl was charged, prosecutors said he had talked to investigators and denied discharging waste on the bridge, prosecutors said.

Authorities used surveillance tapes from area buildings to zero in on the bus and consulted with engineers to determine the waste release was not an accident.

Prosecutors said the band cooperated in the investigation, flying Tinsley to Chicago to be interviewed by authorities and bringing the bus, one of a number used by the band, back for inspection.

Shortly after the incident, the band issued a statement on its Web site saying that if the bus was found to be responsible, the band would "work quickly to make amends, with the people on the boat and with Chicago."

The band has since donated $50,000 to the Friends of the Chicago River and $50,000 to the Chicago Park District.

Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan has also filed a civil lawsuit seeking $70,000 in damages against the band and driver alleging they violated state environmental laws. That case is ongoing, and the next court date is scheduled for next month, according to Madigan spokeswoman Melissa Merz.


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## hurricaneplumber (Apr 12, 2004)

That tank must of been real full, 800 pounds, yikes!!







I just wonder how they came up with that number, I doubt it would all land on the boat deck anyways.

They must have those remote control automatic gate valves that some of the big buses have.

Sure glad I was not on the boat.

Thanks for the update Jim.

Kevin


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## tdvffjohn (Mar 10, 2005)

So now we here buses are modified to do this while not getting out of the seat. Great, do not follow buses in the rain, ya never know now. I hope someone reads this that should be looking at this during inspections.


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## hurricaneplumber (Apr 12, 2004)

Yeah, this is something I was referring to.*Electric dump valve* """add an optional secondary switch (sold separately) for inside or outside operation. """""


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## dougdogs (Jul 31, 2004)

Update

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050429/ap_en_ce/boat_waste


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