Environmental Regulations & Compliance Flashcards
7 cards from real CEA practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Environmental Regulations & Compliance flashcards as text
A company discovers that a former employee improperly disposed of spent solvents at an off-site location 15 years ago. Under CERCLA, which liability standard most likely applies?
Answer: Strict, joint and several, and retroactive liability
CERCLA imposes strict, joint and several, and retroactive liability, meaning PRPs can be held liable regardless of fault, even for past disposal actions predating the law.
Under the CWA, the term 'waters of the United States' (WOTUS) is significant because it defines:
Answer: The geographic scope of federal jurisdiction for permitting and enforcement
WOTUS defines the jurisdictional reach of CWA programs including Section 404 dredge-and-fill permits and Section 402 NPDES permits.
Which regulatory threshold determines whether a facility is classified as a 'major source' subject to CAA Title V operating permit requirements for HAPs?
Answer: 10 tons per year of a single HAP or 25 tons per year of all HAPs combined
Under CAA Section 112, a major source is defined as emitting 10 tpy or more of a single HAP or 25 tpy or more of any combination of HAPs.
An environmental auditor reviews a facility's stormwater permit and finds discharge monitoring reports (DMRs) were not submitted for three consecutive quarters. This most directly violates which regulatory requirement?
Answer: NPDES permit recordkeeping and reporting conditions
NPDES permits require permittees to submit DMRs on schedule; failure to submit constitutes a permit violation and can trigger enforcement under CWA Section 309.
Under OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard (HazCom 2012), Safety Data Sheets must include how many standardized sections?
Answer: 16
HazCom 2012, aligned with GHS, requires SDSs to follow a standardized 16-section format covering identification, hazards, composition, first aid, and more.
The Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Section 6(a) authorizes EPA to take action against a chemical substance when it presents:
Answer: An unreasonable risk of injury to health or the environment
TSCA Section 6(a) gives EPA authority to prohibit or limit chemical manufacture, processing, or use when a substance presents an unreasonable risk under its conditions of use.
Which RCRA exemption allows facilities to treat hazardous waste in tanks, containers, or containment buildings without a permit if they meet specific conditions?
Answer: Generator self-treatment exemption
Under RCRA, generators may treat their own hazardous waste on-site in certain units without a RCRA permit, provided they meet applicable standards and the treatment is in their own waste.