CPWM - Certified Professional in Waste Management Hazardous Waste Management Questions and Answers — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A manufacturing facility generates 1,200 kg of hazardous waste in a calendar month. The waste is stored on-site before being shipped to a treatment facility. According to RCRA regulations, what is the maximum number of days this facility can accumulate this waste on-site without a storage permit?
- 180 days
- 270 days
- Unlimited, as long as the quantity does not exceed 6,000 kg
- 90 days (Correct answer)
Correct answer: 90 days
Facilities that generate more than 1,000 kg of hazardous waste in a calendar month are classified as Large Quantity Generators (LQGs). Under RCRA, LQGs are permitted to accumulate hazardous waste on-site for up to 90 days in specified containers, tanks, or containment buildings without requiring a storage permit.
Question 2: Which of the following is NOT one of the three main prohibitions of the Land Disposal Restrictions (LDR) program under RCRA?
- The disposal prohibition
- The dilution prohibition
- The recycling prohibition (Correct answer)
- The storage prohibition
Correct answer: The recycling prohibition
The Land Disposal Restrictions (LDR) program is built on three core prohibitions: the disposal prohibition (banning land disposal of untreated waste), the dilution prohibition (preventing the addition of soil or water to reduce hazardous concentrations), and the storage prohibition (preventing indefinite storage to avoid treatment). There is no 'recycling prohibition'; in fact, the regulations often encourage recycling.
Question 3: A small engine repair shop needs to dispose of used lead-acid batteries, recalled pesticides, and some mercury-containing thermostats. What is the most appropriate and streamlined regulatory framework for managing these specific items?
- Managing them as characteristic hazardous wastes under full Subtitle C regulations.
- Disposing of them as standard municipal solid waste.
- Managing them under the Universal Waste Rule (40 CFR Part 273). (Correct answer)
- Sending them directly to a landfill without special handling.
Correct answer: Managing them under the Universal Waste Rule (40 CFR Part 273).
The Universal Waste Rule provides a streamlined set of regulations for commonly generated hazardous wastes to encourage proper collection and recycling. Batteries, certain pesticides, and mercury-containing equipment are specifically listed as federal universal wastes, making this the most appropriate management framework.
Question 4: The 'cradle-to-grave' tracking of hazardous waste, from the point of generation to its final destination, is primarily accomplished through which of the following documents?
- Bill of Lading
- Uniform Hazardous Waste Manifest (Correct answer)
- Biennial Report
- Waste Profile Sheet
Correct answer: Uniform Hazardous Waste Manifest
The Uniform Hazardous Waste Manifest is the key legal document required by the EPA and DOT to track hazardous waste from the generator facility to the designated treatment, storage, or disposal facility (TSDF). Each party that handles the waste signs the manifest, ensuring accountability throughout the process.
Question 5: A liquid waste stream is tested and found to have a pH of 1.5. According to RCRA, this waste would be classified as hazardous due to which characteristic?
- Reactivity
- Ignitability
- Toxicity
- Corrosivity (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Corrosivity
The RCRA characteristic of corrosivity applies to aqueous wastes with a pH less than or equal to 2 or greater than or equal to 12.5. Since the waste has a pH of 1.5, it is considered a corrosive hazardous waste (D002).
Question 6: A Small Quantity Generator (SQG) of hazardous waste typically generates how much hazardous waste in a calendar month?
- More than 1,000 kg
- Less than or equal to 100 kg
- More than 100 kg but less than 1,000 kg (Correct answer)
- Exactly 500 kg
Correct answer: More than 100 kg but less than 1,000 kg
RCRA defines three generator categories. A Small Quantity Generator (SQG) is defined as a facility that generates more than 100 kilograms but less than 1,000 kilograms of hazardous waste per calendar month.
CPWM - Certified Professional in Waste Management Hazardous Waste Management Questions and Answers
A manufacturing facility generates 1,200 kg of hazardous waste in a calendar month.
The waste is stored on-site before being shipped to a treatment facility.
According to RCRA regulations, what is the maximum number of days this facility can accumulate this waste on-site without a storage permit?