HSE Environmental Regulations and Sustainability Practices 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under the Clean Water Act's NPDES program, a general permit differs from an individual permit in that it:
- Covers only municipal wastewater dischargers
- Authorizes a category of discharges with similar characteristics under one permit (Correct answer)
- Eliminates monitoring requirements
- Is issued by OSHA instead of EPA
Correct answer: Authorizes a category of discharges with similar characteristics under one permit
NPDES general permits cover multiple dischargers of the same type (e.g., stormwater construction sites) under a single permit, reducing administrative burden.
Question 2: ISO 14001 is best described as a standard for:
- Occupational health and safety management systems
- Environmental management systems (Correct answer)
- Quality management systems
- Energy management systems
Correct answer: Environmental management systems
ISO 14001 specifies requirements for an environmental management system (EMS) that organizations can use to enhance environmental performance.
Question 3: A 'significant deterioration' of air quality in a Class I area (such as a national park) is regulated under which Clean Air Act provision?
- New Source Performance Standards (NSPS)
- Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) (Correct answer)
- National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP)
- Acid Rain Program
Correct answer: Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD)
The PSD program prevents air quality from degrading significantly in areas that already meet NAAQS, with the strictest increments applying to Class I areas.
Question 4: Which regulatory concept requires new or modified major stationary sources in non-attainment areas to obtain 'offsets' greater than their new emissions?
- Best Available Control Technology (BACT)
- Lowest Achievable Emission Rate (LAER) with emission offsets (Correct answer)
- Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT)
- Reasonably Available Control Technology (RACT)
Correct answer: Lowest Achievable Emission Rate (LAER) with emission offsets
In non-attainment areas, new sources must apply LAER and obtain emission offsets at a ratio greater than 1:1 to demonstrate net air quality benefit.
Question 5: Under RCRA, a 'small quantity generator' (SQG) generates between how many kilograms of hazardous waste per calendar month?
- Less than 100 kg
- 100–1,000 kg (Correct answer)
- 1,000–10,000 kg
- More than 10,000 kg
Correct answer: 100–1,000 kg
RCRA classifies SQGs as facilities generating between 100 and 1,000 kg of hazardous waste per month, with intermediate regulatory requirements.
Question 6: The concept of 'environmental justice' in U.S. regulatory practice originates primarily from:
- The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
- Executive Order 12898 signed by President Clinton in 1994 (Correct answer)
- The Civil Rights Act of 1964
- The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
Correct answer: Executive Order 12898 signed by President Clinton in 1994
Executive Order 12898 directed federal agencies to identify and address disproportionately high and adverse environmental effects on minority and low-income populations.
Question 7: A facility's Environmental Management System (EMS) audit under ISO 14001 is intended to verify:
- That all employees have completed OSHA 30-hour training
- Whether the EMS conforms to planned arrangements and is properly implemented (Correct answer)
- Compliance with all applicable federal regulations
- The financial performance of environmental investments
Correct answer: Whether the EMS conforms to planned arrangements and is properly implemented
ISO 14001 internal audits determine whether the EMS conforms to the organization's own arrangements and to the standard's requirements, and whether it is effectively implemented.
HSE Environmental Regulations and Sustainability Practices 3
Under the Clean Water Act's NPDES program, a general permit differs from an individual permit in that it: