Environmental Compliance Inspector Federal Environmental Regulations 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under the Clean Water Act, what is the primary permit mechanism controlling pollutant discharges from point sources into navigable waters?
- RCRA Permit
- NPDES Permit (Correct answer)
- Title V Permit
- UIC Permit
Correct answer: NPDES Permit
The National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit is the Clean Water Act's core regulatory tool for controlling discharges from point sources into U.S. waters.
Question 2: Which federal law specifically governs the cleanup of hazardous waste sites that have been abandoned or where the responsible party cannot be identified?
- RCRA
- TSCA
- CERCLA (Correct answer)
- FIFRA
Correct answer: CERCLA
CERCLA (Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act), also known as Superfund, addresses cleanup of abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous waste sites.
Question 3: What threshold quantity of an extremely hazardous substance triggers EPCRA Section 302 planning requirements under SARA Title III?
- Threshold Planning Quantity (TPQ) (Correct answer)
- Reportable Quantity (RQ)
- Action Level (AL)
- Permit Limit (PL)
Correct answer: Threshold Planning Quantity (TPQ)
EPCRA Section 302 requires facilities to notify State Emergency Response Commissions if they store extremely hazardous substances at or above the Threshold Planning Quantity.
Question 4: The Clean Air Act's National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) apply specifically to which category of sources?
- Mobile sources only
- Area and major stationary sources of HAPs (Correct answer)
- Minor stationary sources only
- Agricultural burning sources
Correct answer: Area and major stationary sources of HAPs
NESHAP standards apply to both major sources and area sources that emit or have the potential to emit hazardous air pollutants above specified thresholds.
Question 5: Under RCRA Subtitle C, which of the following is NOT one of the three characteristics used to classify a solid waste as hazardous?
- Ignitability
- Corrosivity
- Radioactivity (Correct answer)
- Reactivity
Correct answer: Radioactivity
RCRA's four hazardous waste characteristics are ignitability, corrosivity, reactivity, and toxicity — radioactivity is regulated separately under the Atomic Energy Act.
Question 6: What is the primary purpose of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) required under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)?
- To authorize project construction
- To disclose environmental effects of major federal actions (Correct answer)
- To set emission limits for new facilities
- To certify compliance with state environmental laws
Correct answer: To disclose environmental effects of major federal actions
An EIS is a disclosure document required by NEPA to inform decision-makers and the public about significant environmental effects of proposed major federal actions.
Question 7: Under the Safe Drinking Water Act, what is the term for the health-based concentration of a contaminant in drinking water below which no known or anticipated adverse effects occur?
- Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL)
- Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG) (Correct answer)
- Treatment Technique (TT)
- Action Level (AL)
Correct answer: Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG)
The Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG) is a non-enforceable, health-based target set at a level where no adverse health effects are anticipated, including a margin of safety.
