CLINTON - The Illinois Pollution Control Board is expected to decide Thursday whether to hold a public hearing in DeWitt County on a plan by Peoria Disposal Co. to treat hazardous waste for storage at any of its Illinois landfills.

The hearing request was made Monday by state Rep. Bill Mitchell, R-Forsyth. The company says a hearing in DeWitt County is unnecessary since it has no plans to store any of the waste at Clinton and will amend the host agreement with the DeWitt County board as a guarantee.

Peoria Disposal is the parent company of Area Disposal, which owns and operates the landfill south of Clinton. Peoria Disposal plans to treat and de-list electric arc furnace dust waste.

The control board's only scheduled hearing was Monday in Peoria. Matt Varble, who leads Clinton-based WATCH (We're Against Toxic CHemicals) was one of a half-dozen DeWitt County residents to attend and he filed his own request for a hearing.

"Peoria Disposal clearly does not want a public hearing in DeWitt County," Varble said. "While trying to address the reasons why a public hearing should be held in DeWitt County, I was continuously interrupted and obstructed from making my point by the legal counsel representing Peoria Disposal."

Varble believes the DeWitt hearing is necessary since paperwork filed with the control board identifies all of Peoria Disposal's landfills - including the Clinton facility.

Chris Coulter, vice president of Peoria Disposal, said his company has offered to amend the host agreement with the DeWitt County Board with a promise to not store any of the treated wastes in DeWitt County without the approval of the board.

Last week, the DeWitt County Board voted down a resolution in support of a public hearing. Instead, county officials will work on the amendment to the contract to give it control over the wastes stored at the facility.

"It is not our intention to store this waste in Clinton and we will put that in writing with the amendment to the host agreement," Coulter said. "We oppose a public hearing because it would cause a delay in promises we offer to our clients about the storage process. Any delays could mean layoffs or cutbacks. This waste will be stored at our Indian Creek landfill near Hopedale in Tazewell County and not in Clinton."

Varble said that isn't enough.

"A proposed agreement isn't a substitute for a hearing," Varble said.

The control board will accept public comment through Sept.11. A final decision is expected in October.