CLINTON - A DeWitt County group opposed to a chemical waste landfill agreement say many voters will get a second chance to voice their opinions on the proposed changes in a nonbinding referendum in November.

So far, eight of DeWitt County's 13 townships have agreed to put a question on the Nov. 4 ballot, asking voters if the county board should reverse its endorsement of Peoria Disposal Co.'s effort to get permission to store chemical waste at the Clinton Landfill.

We're Against Toxic Chemicals, or WATCH, has been approaching the townships for a new referendum on plans to store polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, at the Clinton Landfill, south of Clinton.

In a countywide, nonbinding referendum Feb. 5, about 74 percent of DeWitt County voters said they did not favor the waste storage plan. The county board has not changed its position on the landfill.

Now the opposition group wants to go through townships.

"There's this notion around DeWitt County that on referendum questions, no matter what it is, the voters will vote 'no,' " said Matt Varble, Clinton, founder of the opposition. "This time, though, it's different. We want people to vote 'yes.' This referendum provides clear and concise direction to the county board."

The eight townships - Clintonia, Creek, DeWitt, Texas, Tunbridge, Wapella, Waynesville and Wilson - represent 76 percent of the county's registered voters. Clintonia includes the city of Clinton and the landfill site.

The remaining five townships' boards of supervisors have until July to decide whether to put the referendum on the ballot.

Last fall, the county board approved an amendment to the host agreement with Peoria Disposal to permit the chemical storage.

The board also endorsed the company's application for a federal permit to store wastes with a concentration of greater than 50 parts per million of PCBs. The chemicals are toxic, carcinogenic organic compounds used in many industrial processes.

Varble's group has promised to fight the plan until the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency makes its decision on the permit. That ruling may not come until summer 2009.

County board Chairman Steve Lobb said he would have no comment on the new developments. In February, he released a statement indicating he would continue to investigate the matter and urged board members to give careful consideration to any further action on the matter.

Ron Edwards, vice president of Peoria Disposal, also declined to comment until the company can get more information.

Kevin Barlow can be reached at kbarlow@pantagraph.com.