AQS Environmental Regulations & Policy 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under the Clean Air Act, which document must a state submit to EPA outlining how it will achieve and maintain NAAQS?
- State Implementation Plan (SIP) (Correct answer)
- Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
- Hazardous Air Pollutant List (HAPL)
- Air Quality Management Plan (AQMP)
Correct answer: State Implementation Plan (SIP)
A State Implementation Plan (SIP) is the regulatory mechanism states use to demonstrate how they will attain and maintain National Ambient Air Quality Standards.
Question 2: Which CAA provision requires major stationary sources in attainment areas to undergo review ensuring they will not cause a significant deterioration of air quality?
- New Source Performance Standards (NSPS)
- Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) (Correct answer)
- Non-Attainment New Source Review (NA-NSR)
- Reasonably Available Control Technology (RACT)
Correct answer: Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD)
Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) permitting applies in areas that meet NAAQS to protect air quality from significant degradation by new or modified major sources.
Question 3: The Acid Rain Program established under Title IV of the CAA primarily used which market-based mechanism to reduce SO2 emissions?
- Technology mandates
- Cap-and-trade allowances (Correct answer)
- Ambient concentration limits
- Fuel content standards
Correct answer: Cap-and-trade allowances
Title IV's Acid Rain Program introduced a cap-and-trade system for SO2 allowances, allowing sources to buy and sell emission credits to achieve cost-effective reductions.
Question 4: Which federal agency, other than the EPA, co-regulates vehicle tailpipe emissions under a memorandum of understanding tied to the CAA?
- Department of Transportation (DOT)
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) (Correct answer)
- Department of Energy (DOE)
- Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)
Correct answer: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
NHTSA and EPA jointly regulate vehicle greenhouse gas and fuel economy standards, coordinating under joint rulemakings tied to CAA authority.
Question 5: A facility emitting 100 tons/year of a regulated pollutant in a serious nonattainment area must apply which NSR offset ratio?
- 1:1
- 1.1:1
- 1.2:1 (Correct answer)
- 1.3:1
Correct answer: 1.2:1
In serious nonattainment areas, new major source emissions must be offset at a ratio of at least 1.2:1 to achieve net air quality improvement.
Question 6: Which regulatory program requires facilities emitting above threshold quantities of listed hazardous substances to report to the EPA Toxics Release Inventory (TRI)?
- RCRA Title III
- EPCRA Section 313 (Correct answer)
- CAA Title I Section 112
- CERCLA Section 103
Correct answer: EPCRA Section 313
EPCRA Section 313 requires facilities meeting employee and activity thresholds to report annual releases of listed toxic chemicals to the TRI database.
Question 7: Under EPA's General Conformity Rule, which federal actions in nonattainment or maintenance areas must demonstrate that emissions will not exceed de minimis thresholds?
- State highway construction only
- Any federal action that may cause or contribute to a NAAQS violation (Correct answer)
- Only EPA-permitted industrial facilities
- Mobile source fleet replacements only
Correct answer: Any federal action that may cause or contribute to a NAAQS violation
The General Conformity Rule requires federal agencies to show that any federally supported action in nonattainment/maintenance areas will not worsen air quality relative to the SIP.
AQS Environmental Regulations & Policy 2
Under the Clean Air Act, which document must a state submit to EPA outlining how it will achieve and maintain NAAQS?