CES Solid and Hazardous Waste 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under RCRA, which characteristic makes a solid waste 'hazardous' based on its ability to corrode metal containers?
- Ignitability
- Corrosivity (Correct answer)
- Reactivity
- Toxicity
Correct answer: Corrosivity
Corrosivity is defined as a pH ≤2 or ≥12.5, or the ability to corrode steel at a rate >6.35 mm/year.
Question 2: A facility generates 150 kg of hazardous waste per month. Under RCRA, this facility is classified as a:
- Large Quantity Generator (LQG)
- Small Quantity Generator (SQG) (Correct answer)
- Very Small Quantity Generator (VSQG)
- Conditionally Exempt Small Quantity Generator
Correct answer: Small Quantity Generator (SQG)
Small Quantity Generators (SQGs) generate between 100 kg and 1,000 kg of hazardous waste per calendar month.
Question 3: Which federal law specifically governs the cleanup of abandoned hazardous waste sites using a Superfund trust?
- RCRA
- CERCLA (Correct answer)
- TSCA
- CAA
Correct answer: CERCLA
CERCLA (Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act) established the Superfund program for remediation of contaminated sites.
Question 4: In a TCLP (Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure) test, what does the procedure simulate?
- Industrial incineration temperatures
- Leaching of contaminants in a municipal landfill environment (Correct answer)
- Runoff from agricultural fields
- Deep injection well conditions
Correct answer: Leaching of contaminants in a municipal landfill environment
TCLP simulates leaching conditions in a co-disposal municipal solid waste landfill to determine if a waste exhibits the toxicity characteristic.
Question 5: Which type of landfill liner system is required for RCRA Subtitle C (hazardous waste) landfills?
- Single clay liner
- Double liner with leachate collection between liners (Correct answer)
- Single HDPE geomembrane only
- Compacted soil liner with no leachate collection
Correct answer: Double liner with leachate collection between liners
RCRA Subtitle C requires a double liner system with a leachate collection and removal system (LCRS) between the two liners.
Question 6: What is the primary purpose of a 'land ban' (Land Disposal Restrictions) under RCRA?
- Prohibit any land disposal of solid waste
- Require treatment of hazardous wastes to reduce toxicity before land disposal (Correct answer)
- Ban landfill construction in floodplains
- Restrict importation of foreign hazardous waste
Correct answer: Require treatment of hazardous wastes to reduce toxicity before land disposal
Land Disposal Restrictions (LDRs) require hazardous wastes to meet treatment standards that reduce toxicity or mobility before they can be land disposed.
Question 7: Which air emission standard under RCRA regulates air releases from hazardous waste treatment, storage, and disposal facilities?
- NSPS (New Source Performance Standards)
- MACT (Maximum Achievable Control Technology) (Correct answer)
- NAAQS (National Ambient Air Quality Standards)
- RACT (Reasonably Available Control Technology)
Correct answer: MACT (Maximum Achievable Control Technology)
MACT standards under the Clean Air Act apply to RCRA TSDFs, requiring maximum achievable control of hazardous air pollutant emissions.
CES Solid and Hazardous Waste 2
Under RCRA, which characteristic makes a solid waste 'hazardous' based on its ability to corrode metal containers?