With the passage of the California Integrated Waste Management Act of 1989 (AB 939, et seq.), which established mandated solid waste diversion and recycling requirements, the role of the Solid Waste Advisory Council, established by the Riverside County Board of Supervisors in 1981, was expanded by the County and its cities to include the AB 939, State-mandated duties of a Local Task Force, forming the Riverside County Solid Waste Advisory Council/Local Task Force (SWAC/LTF).  With this added function, the responsibilities of the SWAC/LTF were increased to include, not only making findings and providing advisory recommendations to the County’s Planning Commission and Board on all substantive waste management issues and solid waste facility land use matters, but also to assist the County and its cities in meeting AB 939 requirements, from the preparation and revision of the Countywide Integrated Waste Management Plan (CIWMP) to reviewing and commenting on solid waste facilities and their expansions for consistency with the CIWMP and recycling goals to the California Integrated Waste Management Board.

The Riverside County SWAC/LTF currently consists of 23 members, representing the interests of Riverside County, cities in the County with populations over 100,000, industry, waste haulers, the Coachella Valley Association of Governments, the Western Riverside Council of Governments, engineering, and the economic, agricultural, and environmental communities.  Meetings of the SWAC/LTF are held as needed, generally on the third Thursday of the month, and require a quorum of 11 members, when acting in the capacity of a LTF under AB 939, or a majority of the membership, not counting any vacant positions at the time of the meeting, when acting in the capacity of a SWAC.  For those actions taken by the SWAC/LTF in the capacity of a LTF under AB 939, an affirmative vote of not less than the quorum (11 members) is required.  For all other actions, an affirmative vote of not less than a majority of the quorum is required.

The Riverside County SWAC/LTF provides members with the unique opportunity to assist the County and its cities in complying with AB 939 mandates, to plan for adequate waste disposal capacity and facilities, to evaluate waste disposal alternatives and technologies, and to influence the direction of waste management practices and legislation.