Environmental Compliance Inspector Soil and Land Contamination 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under RCRA, what triggers the classification of a site as a solid waste management unit (SWMU)?
- Any area where solid or hazardous waste has been placed or where hazardous constituents have migrated (Correct answer)
- Only areas with active landfill operations
- Sites that exceed EPA drinking water standards
- Locations where pesticides have been applied
Correct answer: Any area where solid or hazardous waste has been placed or where hazardous constituents have migrated
A SWMU is any unit at a facility where solid or hazardous waste has been placed or where hazardous constituents may have migrated to soil or groundwater.
Question 2: Which federal program specifically addresses the cleanup of contaminated brownfield sites through grants and technical assistance?
- CERCLA Superfund Program
- EPA Brownfields Program (Correct answer)
- RCRA Corrective Action Program
- TSCA Remediation Initiative
Correct answer: EPA Brownfields Program
The EPA Brownfields Program provides grants and technical assistance to communities for assessing and cleaning up lightly contaminated properties known as brownfields.
Question 3: What is the primary purpose of a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) under ASTM E1527?
- To collect soil and groundwater samples for laboratory analysis
- To identify recognized environmental conditions (RECs) through records review and site inspection without sampling (Correct answer)
- To develop a remediation action plan for contaminated property
- To determine the cost of environmental cleanup for a site
Correct answer: To identify recognized environmental conditions (RECs) through records review and site inspection without sampling
A Phase I ESA identifies recognized environmental conditions (RECs) through historical records, regulatory database review, and visual site inspection — no sampling is conducted.
Question 4: Underground storage tanks (USTs) containing petroleum products are regulated primarily under which statute?
- CERCLA
- Clean Water Act
- RCRA Subtitle I (Correct answer)
- TSCA
Correct answer: RCRA Subtitle I
RCRA Subtitle I establishes the federal UST program, setting requirements for leak detection, spill/overfill prevention, and corrective action for petroleum and hazardous substance USTs.
Question 5: What soil sampling method is most appropriate when a compliance inspector needs a representative average concentration across a large, relatively uniform area?
- Judgmental sampling at suspected hot spots
- Composite sampling across a grid pattern (Correct answer)
- Single grab sample from the center of the area
- Depth-discrete sampling at maximum depth only
Correct answer: Composite sampling across a grid pattern
Composite sampling across a grid pattern averages concentrations over the area, providing a cost-effective representative estimate for large uniform areas.
Question 6: Which document establishes the risk-based corrective action (RBCA) framework most widely used by states for petroleum-contaminated soil cleanup?
- ASTM E1739 Standard Guide for Risk-Based Corrective Action (Correct answer)
- EPA SW-846 Test Methods Manual
- 40 CFR Part 280 UST Regulations
- OSHA 1910.120 HAZWOPER Standard
Correct answer: ASTM E1739 Standard Guide for Risk-Based Corrective Action
ASTM E1739 established the RBCA framework, which uses site-specific risk calculations to set cleanup goals for petroleum-contaminated sites rather than applying uniform standards.
