$50k fine as 'black and smelly' water pollutes Niagara Falls
July's incident, at the peak of the summer season, left Maid of the Mist tour boats "enveloped in a foul discharge".
Tuesday 19 September 2017 17:55, UK
The water board responsible for Niagara Falls is being fined $50,000 (£37,314) by New York state after "black and smelly" water was discharged into the famous tourist attraction.
On a busy tourist weekend at the end of July, discoloured and foul-smelling water was emptied into the Niagara River - enveloping the dock for the landmark's popular Maid of the Mist tour boats.
Officials have blamed outdated equipment and miscommunication between employees for the incident.
New York governor Andrew Cuomo said there were "basic breaches of protocol" at the local water plant.
"We have to make sure it never ever happens again," he added.
Mr Cuomo has likened the water plant involved to an old car that's in a crash.
"It's not the age of the car - you drove it into a tree," he said. "That's the problem. You drove the car into a tree. Let's discuss that first."