The shower of raw sewage that unexpectedly emptied onto boat passengers this month has led city officials to step up inspections of tour buses’ restrooms and plumbing, city officials said Thursday.
Standing across South Canal Street from three idling charter buses, the city commissioners of the Environment and Consumer Services Departments pledged sustained inspections by a six-person tour bus task force that will make sure the vehicles are not only safe but also sanitary.
“Disposal of waste illegally in the City of Chicago will not be tolerated. It is a serious issue and one that we address on a daily basis,” said Marcia Jimenez, environment commissioner.
She urged vigilant citizens to call 311 if they see suspicious dumping, adding they would be given a $500 reward upon a conviction.
Department of Consumer Services Commissioner Norma Reyes said that all city-licensed buses will be required to document that they have agreements with disposal companies to legally dump waste.
Inspectors will carry with them a new set of questions including, “When was the last time the toilet was emptied?” “Where was it emptied?” and “Is waste splattered on the side of the bus?”
Despite the tough talk, Jimenez conceded that the now-notorious events of Aug. 8, when a bus allegedly operated by a Dave Matthews Band driver spilled 800 pounds of human waste onto the crowded deck of an architectural sightseeing riverboat, Chicago’s Little Lady, were unique in her 24 years as a city employee.
And an inspector from the Department of Consumer Services said that on many buses with bathrooms it is impossible to know where and when they dumped their waste without relying on the operator’s honesty.
Still, Jimenez said the Kinzie Street bridge incident “has heightened a need for the City of Chicago to understand how tour buses operate.”
