Band atoning for sewage incident

The Dave Matthews Band want to speed up the healing process

The Dave Matthews Band is trying to make amends for dumping human waste from its tour bus onto a boat full of tourists on the Chicago River.

The band have offered a $100,000 (£54,252) donation to two groups that protect the Chicago River and its surrounding area.

The band is being sued by the Illinois Attorney General office.

They said they had contacted the boat owner and were now trying to trace the 100 passengers affected by the incident

The driver of the tour bus, who was the only person on it at the time, has been suspended but continues to defend his innocence, a statement on the Dave Matthews Band website says.

It is alleged he emptied the septic tank from the bus while crossing a bridge, covering the tourists with raw sewage.

Frustration

"We know 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 said in a statement.

"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 said they were also frustrated at the length of time it was taking to sort out the matter, which is why they had offered the donations.

Melissa Merz, a spokeswoman for the attorney general's office, said the parties were trying to negotiate a settlement but their donation did not impact on the ongoing talks.

"We certainly ... appreciate the gesture of goodwill, but legal negotiations are based on evidence and legal procedures and we have not yet reached a resolution in this case," she said.

The Dave Matthews Band won a Grammy Award in 1996 for their single So Much To Say and have built up a reputation as a successful live act.