CPM CPM Environmental Compliance & Sustainability 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under the US Clean Air Act, which EPA program requires facilities to obtain operating permits if they emit above threshold amounts of regulated air pollutants?
- RCRA Subtitle C
- Title V Operating Permit Program (Correct answer)
- SPCC Rule
- Tier II Reporting
Correct answer: Title V Operating Permit Program
Title V of the Clean Air Act requires major stationary sources emitting regulated pollutants above threshold limits to obtain a comprehensive operating permit.
Question 2: A plant manager discovers that the facility generates more than 1,000 kg of hazardous waste per month. Under RCRA, this facility is classified as a:
- Conditionally Exempt Small Quantity Generator (CESQG)
- Small Quantity Generator (SQG)
- Large Quantity Generator (LQG) (Correct answer)
- Universal Waste Handler
Correct answer: Large Quantity Generator (LQG)
Under RCRA, facilities generating ≥1,000 kg/month of hazardous waste are classified as Large Quantity Generators (LQG) with the most stringent compliance requirements.
Question 3: What is the primary purpose of a Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) Plan?
- Document procedures for responding to workplace injuries involving chemical exposure
- Prevent oil spills from reaching navigable US waters and plan containment responses (Correct answer)
- Establish air emission limits for volatile organic compounds
- Register chemicals stored on-site with the local LEPC
Correct answer: Prevent oil spills from reaching navigable US waters and plan containment responses
An SPCC Plan, required under the Clean Water Act, documents a facility's measures to prevent and respond to oil spills that could reach navigable waters.
Question 4: Under EPCRA Section 312, facilities that store hazardous chemicals above threshold quantities must submit which annual report to state and local authorities?
- Form R (TRI Report)
- Tier II Chemical Inventory Report (Correct answer)
- NPDES Discharge Monitoring Report
- Air Quality Permit Deviation Report
Correct answer: Tier II Chemical Inventory Report
EPCRA Section 312 requires annual Tier II reports disclosing the types, quantities, and locations of hazardous chemicals stored above thresholds to state and local emergency planners.
Question 5: A manufacturing plant discharges wastewater into a municipal sewer system. Which permit framework governs the pollutant limits for that discharge?
- NPDES Permit (direct discharge to surface water)
- Industrial Pretreatment Program (ITP) under Clean Water Act (Correct answer)
- RCRA Land Disposal Restrictions
- Clean Air Act NESHAP standards
Correct answer: Industrial Pretreatment Program (ITP) under Clean Water Act
Facilities discharging to a publicly owned treatment works (POTW) must comply with the Industrial Pretreatment Program, which sets limits to protect the POTW and downstream water quality.
Question 6: Which of the following best describes ISO 14001 in the context of plant environmental management?
- A US federal regulation mandating specific emission limits for manufacturers
- An international standard for establishing an Environmental Management System (EMS) (Correct answer)
- A certification program for individual environmental health and safety professionals
- An EPA voluntary program offering regulatory flexibility for superior environmental performers
Correct answer: An international standard for establishing an Environmental Management System (EMS)
ISO 14001 is an internationally recognized standard that provides a framework for organizations to establish, implement, and continually improve an Environmental Management System.
CPM CPM Environmental Compliance & Sustainability 1
Under the US Clean Air Act, which EPA program requires facilities to obtain operating permits if they emit above threshold amounts of regulated air pollutants?