Emissions Control & Environmental Compliance Flashcards

The Paris Agreement's primary mechanism for countries to set their own emissions reduction targets is known as:

Answer: Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)

Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) are each country's self-set climate pledges under the Paris Agreement, submitted and updated every five years.

Emission factors used to estimate air emissions are primarily based on:

Answer: Average emission rates per unit of activity or production from similar sources

Emission factors are representative values that relate the quantity of a pollutant released to a unit of activity (e.g., tons of fuel burned), derived from measurements across similar source types.

Under EPA's Risk Management Program (RMP), facilities storing regulated substances above threshold quantities must develop plans to protect nearby communities primarily from:

Answer: Accidental releases causing acute health hazards to the public

RMP requires facilities with listed hazardous chemicals above thresholds to analyze worst-case and alternative release scenarios and prepare emergency response plans for accidental releases.

Which approach to environmental regulation sets specific pollution limits without dictating the technology a company must use to achieve them?

Answer: Performance-based standards

Performance-based standards set numerical emission limits but give facilities flexibility to choose any technology or operational practice that achieves compliance.

Environmental justice (EJ) analysis in permitting decisions aims to address concerns that:

Answer: Low-income and minority communities disproportionately bear pollution burdens from permitted facilities

Environmental justice analysis ensures permitting decisions do not create disproportionate adverse health or environmental impacts on low-income and minority communities.

A company implementing an ISO 14001 Environmental Management System must conduct internal audits primarily to:

Answer: Determine conformance with the EMS requirements and identify areas for improvement

ISO 14001 internal audits assess whether the EMS conforms to planned arrangements and is effectively implemented and maintained, driving continual improvement.

Under the Kyoto Protocol's Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), industrialized countries could meet part of their emission reduction targets by:

Answer: Funding certified emission reduction projects in developing countries

The CDM allowed Annex I countries to invest in emission reduction projects in developing countries and receive Certified Emission Reduction (CER) credits toward their Kyoto commitments.