CLINTON - DeWitt County residents will get the chance to voice their opinions on a proposal that would allow a permit to store chemical waste at the Clinton Landfill.

On Thursday night, the DeWitt County Board voted 6-5 to place a nonbinding referendum on the Feb. 5 ballot, following the suggestion of a newly formed watchdog group opposed to the plan.

While voters will get their say, there is no commitment on the part of the DeWitt County Board to rescind an earlier vote of confidence for the permit. In September, the board unanimously approved an amendment to the host agreement, which indicated support for the owners of the landfill, Peoria Disposal, to forward a permit to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The permit would allow for the storage of chemical wastes at the landfill.

Matt Varble, president of the citizen's group WATCH (We're Against Toxic CHemicals) appeared before the county board Thursday night to request the referendum.

"We are satisfied that the county did the right thing and are going to let the public have their say," he said afterward. "Our work isn't done though. We still need to get the word out that these chemicals could be hazardous to our community."

At issue is the storage of PCBs, a group of toxic, carcinogenic organic compounds containing more than one chlorine atom. The new permit would allow the storage of PCBs, however, Peoria Disposal Vice President Ron Edwards said that those chemicals are already legally being stored there, and due to a regulatory quirk, the landfill must apply for a new permit to continue to store those materials.

Opponents of the proposal say that the landfill sits too close to the Mahomet Aquifier, which provides much of the drinking water for Central Illinois communities. If that water source were to get contaminated, several thousand area residents could be affected.

Edwards was also on hand at the Thursday meeting and told the county board that the process for applying for the permit is continuing. Officials with the landfill also are attempting to ease concerns of citizens who are opposed to the permit by offering a public open house Oct. 27 and answering any questions or concerns.

Kevin Barlow can be reached at kevin.barlow@yahoo.com.