This is hilarious (and kind of sad). Despite The Washington Missourian’s best efforts to give the county commissioners some cover for their votes that will soon be cast to allow Ameren Missouri to build what I like to call “The John Griesheimer Toxic Coal Ash Waste Dump,” their latest poll indicates public opinion has actually gotten much worse since last fall.

As of July 18, 2011

At a time when it’s hard to get people to agree on much of anything, that’s a pretty solid consensus. The only other poll I am aware of on this issue was conducted by Rep. Scott Dieckhaus in October 2010.

Question 11: Should Ameren be permitted to proceed with its plans to develop a landfill to store coal ash on its property near the Labadie power plant if done in accordance with federal, state, and county regulations?

Yes: 40.1%
No: 47.8%
No Opinion: 9.4%
No Response: 2.7%

Despite the ridiculously weighted question (note the qualifiers, “on its property” and “if done in accordance with“) Dieckhaus couldn’t even get a plurality in his mostly conservative district to answer yes.

Griesheimer and the other county commissioners are out there on their own with this one. Franklin Countians hate the idea of putting toxic waste in a floodplain and understand whose bread is being buttered here. The good ole boys club should stop hoping some measure of popular support for it will magically appear to save them. There isn’t any. Should it come to pass, The Griesheimer Landfill will stand as yet another reminder of how the demands of the people are obstructed by the whims of industry, power, money and influence.