Environmental & Sustainability Compliance Flashcards
7 cards from real CMS 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 & Sustainability Compliance flashcards as text
Which regulatory standard establishes National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for six common air pollutants including ground-level ozone and particulate matter?
Answer: Clean Air Act
The Clean Air Act authorizes the EPA to set NAAQS for six 'criteria pollutants,' including ozone, particulate matter, CO, NO2, SO2, and lead.
In the context of extended producer responsibility (EPR), manufacturers are held accountable for which aspect of their products?
Answer: Environmental impacts and end-of-life management of products they produce
EPR shifts the responsibility for end-of-life product management—including collection, recycling, and disposal—back to the manufacturer.
A manufacturing company is preparing for ISO 14001 certification. The 'Plan-Do-Check-Act' (PDCA) cycle is central to this standard. What does the 'Check' phase involve?
Answer: Monitoring, measuring, and evaluating environmental performance against objectives
The 'Check' phase of PDCA involves monitoring and measuring processes against environmental policies, objectives, and targets to assess performance.
Which of the following chemicals, if found in a facility's products, would trigger compliance with the EU RoHS Directive if exporting to Europe?
Answer: Lead, mercury, cadmium, and hexavalent chromium
The EU RoHS Directive restricts hazardous substances including lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, PBB, and PBDE in electrical and electronic equipment.
A facility's environmental management program includes a requirement to conduct periodic 'environmental audits.' What is the primary purpose of these audits?
Answer: To verify compliance with regulations and identify gaps in the environmental management system
Environmental audits systematically evaluate whether a facility's operations comply with regulatory requirements and internal EMS standards, identifying non-conformances.
Under the Clean Air Act's New Source Review (NSR) program, which requirement applies when a manufacturer makes a major modification to an existing facility in a non-attainment area?
Answer: Lowest Achievable Emission Rate (LAER) and offsets for new emissions
In non-attainment areas, NSR requires achieving the Lowest Achievable Emission Rate (LAER) and securing emissions offsets greater than the new emissions.
Which sustainability reporting framework, developed by a nonprofit organization, is most widely used globally by manufacturers to disclose environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance?
Answer: Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards
The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards are the most widely adopted framework worldwide for voluntary ESG and sustainability reporting.