CDS Waste Management & Recycling 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which EPA program provides guidance and resources for waste reduction, including deconstruction and material recovery from buildings?
- EPA WasteWise Program (Correct answer)
- OSHA Hazard Communication Standard
- HUD Lead Paint Hazard Control Program
- Army Corps of Engineers Dredging Program
Correct answer: EPA WasteWise Program
The EPA WasteWise Program provides technical resources and recognition for organizations reducing C&D waste through deconstruction, recycling, and material recovery.
Question 2: Crushed concrete from demolition projects is most commonly reused as which of the following?
- Structural fill directly beneath building footings without testing
- Granular base material for roads, parking lots, and sub-base layers (Correct answer)
- Aggregate in new structural concrete mixes without processing
- Backfill around underground utilities without compaction testing
Correct answer: Granular base material for roads, parking lots, and sub-base layers
Crushed concrete is most widely reused as granular base material for roadways and parking lots after being processed through a portable or fixed crusher.
Question 3: Before demolishing a building, a CDS should conduct a pre-demolition audit primarily to accomplish which goal?
- Estimate the building's original construction cost for insurance purposes
- Identify and inventory materials that can be salvaged, reused, or recycled (Correct answer)
- Determine the number of workers and equipment needed for the project
- Establish the sequence of structural demolition activities
Correct answer: Identify and inventory materials that can be salvaged, reused, or recycled
A pre-demolition audit identifies recoverable materials (lumber, fixtures, brick, metal) before demolition begins, enabling a strategy that maximizes value recovery and minimizes landfill disposal.
Question 4: Which organization publishes the LEED rating system that awards credits for construction and demolition waste management?
- OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration)
- U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) (Correct answer)
- National Demolition Association (NDA)
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Correct answer: U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) administers the LEED rating system, which includes Materials & Resources credits for diverting C&D waste from landfills.
Question 5: What documentation must a demolition contractor maintain to verify recycled C&D materials were properly diverted from landfill?
- Only weight tickets from landfill tipping fee receipts
- Weight tickets or receipts from recycling facilities showing material type and quantity (Correct answer)
- Photographs of workers sorting materials on site
- Insurance certificates from debris hauling subcontractors
Correct answer: Weight tickets or receipts from recycling facilities showing material type and quantity
Recycling facility receipts or weight tickets documenting the type and quantity of each material diverted are required to substantiate and report actual landfill diversion rates.
Question 6: Asphalt pavement removed during site demolition and preparation is best managed by which method?
- Disposing in a C&D landfill since it cannot be economically recycled
- Stockpiling for reuse as base material or recycling at an asphalt plant (Correct answer)
- Burning on site to reduce the volume requiring disposal
- Mixing with concrete rubble in a commingled C&D debris pile
Correct answer: Stockpiling for reuse as base material or recycling at an asphalt plant
Removed asphalt pavement can be recycled at an asphalt plant for new hot-mix production or reused as base course material, making it one of the most recycled materials in U.S. construction.
Question 7: What is the primary environmental concern with disposing of untreated wood from demolition in a landfill?
- It generates carbon monoxide gas during decomposition
- It produces methane gas as it decomposes under anaerobic landfill conditions (Correct answer)
- It leaches heavy metals into groundwater over time
- It creates a spontaneous combustion risk in the landfill
Correct answer: It produces methane gas as it decomposes under anaerobic landfill conditions
Untreated wood buried in landfills decomposes anaerobically, producing methane — a potent greenhouse gas roughly 25 times more powerful than CO2 — contributing to climate change.
CDS Waste Management & Recycling 2
Which EPA program provides guidance and resources for waste reduction, including deconstruction and material recovery from buildings?