CLINTON - For the second time in less than a year, DeWitt County residents have voiced their opinion against the storage of chemical wastes at a Clinton landfill.

By a two-to-one margin, DeWitt County residents voted in favor of a non-binding referendum asking the DeWitt County Board to rescind the amendment approved Aug. 23, 2007, with Clinton Landfill Inc. for the permitting of a chemical waste landfill and related structures in DeWitt County.

Peoria Disposal Company is in the process of fulfilling application requirements with the Environmental Protection Agency that would allow for a chemical waste landfill at its site just south of Clinton.

The landfill question was on the ballot for eight of the 13 townships in DeWitt County, reaching about 79 percent of DeWitt County voters. More than 67 percent (3,286-1,827) voted in favor of the board rescinding the motion.

County Board Chairman Steve Lobb believes the referendum is a non-issue.

"The County Board will have no say in this permit," Lobb said. "It's entirely up to the EPA. Even if we were to rescind the motion, it doesn't do anything."

Additionally, Lobb said, the county removed the language from its host agreement with Peoria Disposal in which the county board was on record as supporting the application for the storage of chemical wastes at the landfill. That action was approved in September.

But Matt Varble, president of WATCH (We're Against Toxic Chemicals), a local watchdog group formed to oppose the storage of chemical wastes at Clinton, disagreed.

"We feel the vote illustrates a mandate on how the public feels about chemical wastes at the landfill and the County Board must take action as a result," Varble said. "We will continue to change DeWitt County government until they respond to the needs of the people."

Three incumbents were voted off the board. Larry Martin, Chuck Moore and David Newberg all lost seats. Dennis Rich, Dana Evans and David Taylor were elected to the board.