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John Oliver Has Danbury, Connecticut Sewer Plant Named After Him

DANBURY, Conn. (CBSNewYork/AP) — A sewer plant in a Connecticut town has been officially named after comedian John Oliver.

The host of HBO's "Last Week Tonight" visited Danbury for the dedication of the "John Oliver Memorial Sewer Plant."

Last month, Oliver started poking fun at Danbury on his show, leading to a playful feud with Mayor Mark Boughton.

The mayor suggested naming the town's sewer plant after Oliver. Oliver said he would donate $55,000 to charities, if he did.

So the Danbury City Council approved the change.

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Oliver shared a video of the ribbon-cutting on his show Sunday. During the ceremony, he wore a homemade protective suit, which appeared to be made from a white plastic trash bag, with rubber gloves and and a see-through plastic helmet.

"This place takes the worst that humanity can produce, and transforms it into something that we can live with," Oliver said. "And now more than ever, there's something inspirational in that, because at the end of this awful, awful year, what could be more important than evidence that, if we want to, we can come together, overcome our differences and sort our s—- out."

Boughton said Oliver's promised donations have helped spur local fundraising efforts for area food banks that could end up collecting hundreds of thousands of dollars to feed needy families.

He said the ceremony was kept private as a public health precaution.

(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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