CAFM Environmental Compliance and Sustainability 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under the Clean Air Act, which entity is primarily responsible for setting National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS)?
- State environmental agencies
- The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (Correct answer)
- The Department of Transportation
- Local air quality management districts
Correct answer: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
The EPA is authorized by the Clean Air Act to establish NAAQS for pollutants considered harmful to public health and the environment.
Question 2: A fleet manager wants to reduce Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions. Which action directly addresses Scope 2 emissions?
- Replacing diesel trucks with CNG vehicles
- Switching to a renewable energy provider for fleet facility electricity (Correct answer)
- Reducing employee commute distances
- Installing catalytic converters on older vehicles
Correct answer: Switching to a renewable energy provider for fleet facility electricity
Scope 2 emissions are indirect emissions from purchased electricity, heat, or steam, so switching to renewable energy directly reduces them.
Question 3: Which regulation requires fleet operators to report annual releases of listed toxic chemicals above threshold quantities?
- Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)
- Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) under EPCRA Section 313 (Correct answer)
- Clean Water Act Section 402
- Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA)
Correct answer: Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) under EPCRA Section 313
EPCRA Section 313 established the Toxic Release Inventory, requiring facilities to report annual releases of listed toxic chemicals.
Question 4: A fleet of 50 vehicles averages 18 MPG and travels 1.2 million miles annually. If the fleet upgrades to vehicles averaging 24 MPG, approximately how many gallons of fuel are saved per year?
- 16,667 gallons (Correct answer)
- 22,222 gallons
- 66,667 gallons
- 33,333 gallons
Correct answer: 16,667 gallons
At 18 MPG the fleet uses 66,667 gallons; at 24 MPG it uses 50,000 gallons, saving approximately 16,667 gallons annually.
Question 5: Which phase of the EPA's Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS2) program specifically covers cellulosic biofuels?
- Conventional biofuel
- Advanced biofuel
- Cellulosic biofuel category (Correct answer)
- Biomass-based diesel
Correct answer: Cellulosic biofuel category
RFS2 establishes a separate cellulosic biofuel category for fuels derived from cellulose, hemicellulose, or lignin with at least 60% lifecycle GHG reduction.
Question 6: When disposing of used motor oil from a commercial fleet, what is the legally preferred management method under federal guidelines?
- Landfill disposal in sealed containers
- Re-refining or burning for energy recovery (Correct answer)
- Dilution and discharge to stormwater
- Incineration without energy recovery
Correct answer: Re-refining or burning for energy recovery
EPA guidelines prioritize re-refining used oil back into lubricating oil or burning it as fuel for energy recovery over disposal methods.
Question 7: A fleet manager identifies that several vehicles are leaking hydraulic fluid into the maintenance bay drain. Which regulatory program is most directly violated?
- RCRA hazardous waste regulations
- Clean Water Act National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) (Correct answer)
- Clean Air Act Title V permitting
- OSHA Hazard Communication Standard
Correct answer: Clean Water Act National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES)
Discharging pollutants such as hydraulic fluid into storm or sanitary drains without authorization violates the Clean Water Act's NPDES permit requirements.
CAFM Environmental Compliance and Sustainability 4
Under the Clean Air Act, which entity is primarily responsible for setting National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS)?