CDS Waste Management & Recycling 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which federal regulation primarily governs the disposal of construction and demolition (C&D) debris as non-hazardous solid waste?
- RCRA Subtitle C
- RCRA Subtitle D (Correct answer)
- CERCLA Section 103
- Clean Water Act Section 404
Correct answer: RCRA Subtitle D
RCRA Subtitle D regulates non-hazardous solid waste management, which includes most C&D debris disposed at landfills.
Question 2: Which material recovered from demolition projects has the highest recycling rate in the U.S. construction industry?
- Gypsum wallboard
- Concrete (Correct answer)
- Wood framing
- Carpet and flooring
Correct answer: Concrete
Concrete is the most recycled C&D material in the U.S., commonly crushed and reused as aggregate base material for roads and foundations.
Question 3: A Construction and Demolition Waste Management Plan primarily requires documentation of which of the following?
- Only hazardous materials present on site
- Projected quantities of materials to be recycled, salvaged, or disposed (Correct answer)
- Equipment maintenance schedules for demolition machinery
- Worker overtime hours and safety incident logs
Correct answer: Projected quantities of materials to be recycled, salvaged, or disposed
C&D Waste Management Plans document projected quantities of materials destined for recycling, salvage, and disposal to track and verify diversion from landfills.
Question 4: What does a 'landfill diversion rate' measure in demolition waste management?
- The distance debris must be transported to a landfill
- The percentage of waste diverted from landfill through recycling or reuse (Correct answer)
- The tipping fees charged by local landfill facilities
- The number of dumpsters needed on a demolition site
Correct answer: The percentage of waste diverted from landfill through recycling or reuse
The landfill diversion rate is the percentage of total project waste that is recycled, salvaged, or reused rather than sent to a landfill.
Question 5: Which of the following best describes 'commingled' C&D debris collection?
- Separating materials by type at the point of demolition
- Mixing all demolition waste in a single container for later sorting at a facility (Correct answer)
- Disposing of all waste directly to landfill without any sorting
- Segregating only hazardous from non-hazardous materials on site
Correct answer: Mixing all demolition waste in a single container for later sorting at a facility
Commingled collection places all C&D debris into one container and ships it to a materials recovery facility where mechanical and manual sorting occurs.
Question 6: Under EPA regulations, which of the following C&D materials is classified as 'universal waste' requiring special handling and disposal?
- Concrete rubble from foundation demolition
- Fluorescent light tubes containing mercury (Correct answer)
- Untreated dimensional lumber
- Clean gypsum drywall scrap
Correct answer: Fluorescent light tubes containing mercury
Fluorescent lamps contain mercury and are regulated as universal waste under 40 CFR Part 273, requiring separate collection and disposal from regular C&D debris.
Question 7: What is 'source separation' in demolition waste management?
- Identifying the original contractor who installed the materials being demolished
- Sorting demolition materials by type at the job site before removal and hauling (Correct answer)
- Testing soil at the point of contamination origin
- Tracking the final disposal destination of each debris load
Correct answer: Sorting demolition materials by type at the job site before removal and hauling
Source separation involves sorting materials such as metal, concrete, and wood into separate containers at the demolition site to maximize recycling value and reduce disposal costs.
CDS Waste Management & Recycling 1
Which federal regulation primarily governs the disposal of construction and demolition (C&D) debris as non-hazardous solid waste?