(a) The purpose of the mandatory referendum for approval of new Class A facilities is to verify for the local community that the local infrastructure and environment are appropriate for a new Class A facility and to assure that the local community accepts the associated benefits and detriments of having a new Class A facility located in their county.

(b) Following receipt of a certificate of need from the Public Service Commission as required by section one-c, article two, chapter twenty-four of this code, and local solid waste approval as required in section twenty-six, article four of this chapter for a new Class A facility, the county commission shall cause a referendum to be placed on the ballot not less than fifty-six days before the next primary, general or other countywide election:

(1) Such referendum is to determine whether it is the will of the voters of the county that a new Class A facility be constructed. Any election at which such question of locating a solid waste facility is voted upon shall be held at the voting precincts established for holding primary or general elections. All of the provisions of the general election laws, when not in conflict with the provisions of this article, apply to voting and elections hereunder, insofar as practicable.

(2) The ballot, or the ballot labels where voting machines are used, shall have printed thereon substantially the following:

"The West Virginia Legislature has found that the location of a Class A solid waste facility has impact upon the county in which it will be located, and further that local citizens should be given the opportunity to participate in the decision of locating a new Class A facility in their community. A Class A facility is authorized to receive between ten and thirty thousand tons of solid waste per month.

The ________ county commission finds the following:

I. The ______________________________ (name of applicant) has obtained site approval for a Class A commercial facility from the ___________________ (name of the county or regional solid waste authority). The authority has determined that the proposed landfill meets all local siting plan requirements. The local siting plan evaluates local environmental conditions and other factors and authorizes commercial landfills in areas of a county where a commercial landfill can be appropriately located.

II. The West Virginia Public Service Commission has issued a certificate of need, and has approved the operation of the Class A landfill. The Public Service Commission has determined that the landfill complies with the state solid waste management plan and based on the anticipated volume of garbage expected to be received at the landfill, that the proposal is consistent with public convenience and necessity.

Please vote whether to approve construction of the facility by responding to the following question:

Shall the __________ commercial solid waste facility located within ______________ County, be permitted to handle between ten and thirty thousand tons of solid waste per month?

/ For the facility

/ Against the facility

(Place a cross mark in the square opposite your choice.)"

(3) If a majority of the legal votes cast upon the question is against the facility, the Division of Environmental Protection shall not proceed any further with the application. If a majority of the legal votes cast upon the question be for the facility, then the application process as set forth in this article and article fifteen, chapter twenty-two of this code may proceed: Provided, That such vote is not binding on nor does it require the Division of Environmental Protection to issue the permit. If the majority of the legal votes cast is against the question, the question may be submitted to a vote at any subsequent election in the manner herein specified: Provided, however, That the question may not be resubmitted to a vote until two years after the date of the previous referendum.