Also established were priorities that each California County and City must undertake to reduce solid waste. These priorities served as a guide to the preparation of “source reduction and recycling elements” or SRREs. AB 939 required that each county and city prepare an SRRE which showed how they met meet solid waste diversion goals of 25 percent by the year 1995 and 50 percent by the year 2000 and every year after. McHargue states that, “Amador County Integrated Solid Waste Management Agency (RA) was formed in 1999 to bring together all the incorporated cities and the county as a JPA to address the mandates of AB 939.” McHargue continues by saying, “In 2002/2003 the California Integrated Waste Management Board was very concerned about the lack of diversion programs and the uncertainty of our diversion number.

In late 2003 the RA authorized the Waste Diversion Surcharge to fund activities to meet the statute.” He added that the RA received a time extension to develop programs and determine what Amador County’s Actual diversion number was. “This study,” said McHargue, “resulted in a diversion number above 50% and with ongoing program development, the SB 1066 was successfully completed.  Finally the RA was evaluated by the CIWMB in May 2007 and received notification that we had achieved AB 939 compliance with a diversion number of 65%.” While they are celebrating their feat, Amador County, along with the rest of California’s counties and cities could be asked to do even more. McHargue said, “There is currently a bill in the state assembly that will increase the diversion number to 75%, so there is more work to be done and lots more programs to be developed and improved upon.  In the words of the CIWMB, we got the first 50% now lets get the second 50% diverted from the waste stream.” The Amador County Integrated Solid Waste Management Agency will be recognized for achieving their milestone on August 2nd at 4pm in the Board of Supervisors Chambers and the public is invited to attend.