Practice Test Geeks(CAR) Certified Automotive Recycler Practice Test
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Environmental Compliance & Sustainability Flashcards

7 cards from real CAR practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

Read the first 7 Environmental Compliance & Sustainability flashcards as text

  1. The Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) is relevant to automotive recyclers primarily because of its regulation of:

    Answer: Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) found in older vehicle components

    TSCA regulates PCBs, which may be found in older capacitors, transformers, and certain vehicle electrical components from pre-1979 vehicles.

  2. Which practice best demonstrates pollution prevention (P2) at an automotive recycling facility?

    Answer: Draining and re-refining used motor oil into new lubricant

    Re-refining used motor oil is a source reduction practice that recovers a valuable resource and eliminates hazardous waste disposal, exemplifying EPA's pollution prevention hierarchy.

  3. A recycler operating in a state with an approved RCRA hazardous waste program must comply with:

    Answer: State standards, which may be more stringent than federal minimums

    States with EPA-authorized RCRA programs can set standards equal to or more stringent than federal requirements, and facilities must comply with whichever is stricter.

  4. The primary purpose of a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) at an automotive recycling yard is to:

    Answer: Identify potential pollutant sources and describe Best Management Practices to control them

    A SWPPP documents how a facility will identify pollution sources and implement BMPs to prevent contaminants from entering storm water runoff.

  5. Electric vehicle (EV) high-voltage battery packs removed during recycling present which unique hazard not present in conventional vehicles?

    Answer: Thermal runaway risk that can cause fire, toxic gas release, and re-ignition hours after extinguishing

    Lithium-ion EV battery packs can undergo thermal runaway, generating intense heat, toxic gases (HF, CO), and re-ignition events that require specialized handling and storage protocols.

  6. Under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA), a recycler that stores hazardous chemicals above threshold planning quantities must notify:

    Answer: The Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) and State Emergency Response Commission (SERC)

    EPCRA Section 302 requires facilities storing extremely hazardous substances above threshold quantities to notify the LEPC and SERC to support emergency planning.

  7. Which end-of-life vehicle fluid must NOT be mixed with used motor oil for recycling because it contaminates the re-refining process?

    Answer: Brake fluid (glycol-based)

    Glycol-based brake fluid is water-soluble and incompatible with petroleum-based used oil; mixing it contaminates the oil and disqualifies it from re-refining standards under 40 CFR Part 279.