Environmental Compliance and Protection Flashcards
7 cards from real HSE 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 and Protection flashcards as text
Which of the following best describes the difference between a 'point source' and a 'nonpoint source' of water pollution?
Answer: Point sources discharge from a discrete conveyance; nonpoint sources are diffuse discharges such as runoff
Point sources are identifiable discharges from a single discrete location (e.g., a pipe), while nonpoint sources involve diffuse runoff and drainage from broad areas like agricultural fields.
The Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) program under EPCRA Section 313 requires covered facilities to report annually on:
Answer: Environmental releases and transfers of listed toxic chemicals
TRI requires manufacturing and other covered facilities that use listed toxic chemicals above threshold amounts to report annual releases to air, water, and land, as well as off-site transfers.
What is the purpose of a Tier II report submitted under EPCRA Section 312?
Answer: To provide local emergency planners with inventory data on hazardous chemicals stored at a facility
Tier II reports inform State Emergency Response Commissions, Local Emergency Planning Committees, and local fire departments about the quantities, locations, and hazards of chemicals stored at a facility above threshold planning quantities.
Under the Clean Air Act, a 'major source' of hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) is defined as a facility that emits at least:
Answer: 10 tons per year of any single HAP or 25 tons per year of all HAPs combined
Under CAA Section 112, a major source is defined as one that emits 10 tons per year or more of any single HAP, or 25 tons per year or more of any combination of HAPs.
Which document must accompany a shipment of hazardous waste from a generator to a treatment, storage, or disposal facility (TSDF)?
Answer: Uniform Hazardous Waste Manifest
The Uniform Hazardous Waste Manifest is a cradle-to-grave tracking document that must accompany all off-site hazardous waste shipments, tracking the waste from the generator to the TSDF.
An environmental audit reveals that a facility has been storing hazardous waste for 95 days without a permit. Under RCRA, how should this be classified?
Answer: A violation because LQGs may only store waste for 90 days without a permit
Large Quantity Generators (LQGs) are only permitted to accumulate hazardous waste on-site for 90 days without a storage permit; exceeding this limit constitutes a regulatory violation.
What does the term 'Total Maximum Daily Load' (TMDL) refer to under the Clean Water Act?
Answer: The calculated maximum amount of a pollutant a water body can receive and still meet water quality standards
A TMDL is the total amount of a specific pollutant that an impaired water body can receive from all sources (point, nonpoint, and natural background) while still attaining its water quality standard.