The fate of the proposed Edwardsburg wastewater treatment plant is now in the hands or our legal and democratic systems.

The battle between opponents and supporters of the project cleared its first hurdle on Friday when the Cass County Election Board approved the language of the recall petition.

The petition seeks to remove five of the seven members of the Ontwa Township Board. The two members not being recalled are against the project.

We now have to wait and see if the recalled members seek to appeal the decision of the election board, which is their right.

If they do not appeal, the opponents of the project — members of the Save Our Resources and Environment (SORE) — have 60 days to collect 457 signatures.

If SORE is successful in coming up with enough signatures for a recall, that vote will be held Nov. 4.

We have no way of telling whether or not they will be successful in collecting those signatures, but we are interested in watching how this process plays out.

Our society allows for dissention. In fact, that’s how we became a nation in the first place.

So watching this process play out is a good lesson in democracy for all of us. No matter which side of this issue you may be on, it is the right of every American to question the gorvernment, and by doing so, bring about changes that are supported by a majority of citizens.

In the big picture, the battle over a wastewater treatment plant may not seem like much, but to the residents of Ontwa Township it is a big deal.

Some of them have taken it upon themselves to be the voice of the people and question whether or not a plant is needed in the first place and if so, challenge the location of it. Will it harm the environment?

On the other side, the proponents of the project have exercised, through the process set forth by township bylaws, its right to seek to build a sewer plant.

Who is right? Who is wrong?

In this case, it depends on your point of view.

But through our democratic process, citizens may get the responsibility to decide that by voting in November.