CLINTON - A decision will come Sept. 4 on whether the Illinois Pollution Control Board will hold a public hearing in DeWitt County about Peoria Disposal Company's petition to treat a hazardous waste and store it at its Illinois landfills.

State Rep. Bill Mitchell, R-Forsyth, and Matt Varble of Clinton, who leads a group opposed to plan, want the local hearing. On Wednesday, the board considered the requests but postponed a decision until they receive a transcript of the hearing held Monday in Peoria.

Peoria Disposal is the parent company of Area Disposal, which owns and operates a landfill south of Clinton. On April 25, Peoria Disposal said it wanted to "de-list" the residue from treating electric arc furnace dust at PDC's waste stabilization facility in Peoria.

Once treated, the waste would be stored at a landfill near Hopedale in Tazewell County, say officials with Peoria Disposal. Vice President Chris Coulter said Peoria Disposal does not plan to store the waste in DeWitt County and is working on an agreement with the DeWitt County Board making it mandatory to seek approval from the board if those plans change.

On Monday, more than 100 people attended an IPCB public hearing in Peoria but Varble said the citizens of DeWitt County deserve one as well.

Varble said the announcement to wait for further information was a positive step.

"It means the IPCB is seriously considering the requests that have been made," Varble said. "A hearing in DeWitt County on the proposed de-listing is necessary due to a lack of public notice about the first hearing and a material prejudice that exists towards residents of DeWitt County if the Illinois Pollution Control Board does not hold a second hearing on this very serious matter."

DeWitt County State's Attorney Jerry Johnson has been instructed by the county board to work with PDC attorneys. An agreement is expected to be final in September.

Before PDC can be granted a hazardous waste delisting permit, PDC must prove the material can be treated so it no longer constitutes hazardous waste.

The waste is generated from steel mill processing and contains several materials considered highly toxic, including dioxin, lead, zinc, cadmium, arsenic, mercury, and hexavelent chromium.