Risk Management & Environmental Impact 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 Risk Management & Environmental Impact flashcards as text
Which risk assessment methodology uses a matrix combining likelihood and consequence ratings to prioritize environmental risks?
Answer: Risk Ranking Matrix
A Risk Ranking Matrix plots likelihood against consequence severity to assign priority scores, enabling auditors to focus on high-risk environmental issues first.
Under RCRA, which characteristic makes a solid waste a hazardous waste due to its potential to cause an explosion or fire?
Answer: Ignitability
Ignitability (D001) is the RCRA characteristic applied to wastes that can catch fire under standard conditions, posing fire and explosion risks.
An environmental auditor identifies that stormwater runoff from an industrial site is discharging to a wetland without an NPDES permit. What is the FIRST corrective action priority?
Answer: Cease or control the discharge and notify the regulatory agency
Stopping an unpermitted discharge and notifying regulators is the immediate legal obligation to prevent ongoing Clean Water Act violations and demonstrate good faith.
Which concept describes the maximum concentration of a pollutant in air that a healthy adult can be exposed to for a lifetime without appreciable health risk?
Answer: Reference Concentration (RfC)
The Reference Concentration (RfC) is EPA's estimate of a continuous inhalation exposure level likely to be without risk of deleterious effects over a lifetime.
A brownfield site risk assessment reveals arsenic soil concentrations above residential but below commercial screening levels. What risk management option is MOST appropriate if the site will become a parking lot?
Answer: No action required since concentrations are below commercial levels
If concentrations fall below the applicable commercial/industrial screening level for the intended land use, the risk is considered acceptable and no remediation is required.
Which document formally establishes the legal obligations for cleanup of a Superfund site and is enforceable against responsible parties?
Answer: Consent Decree
A Consent Decree is a court-approved agreement under CERCLA that legally binds responsible parties to perform or fund site cleanup.
When performing a Tier 2 ecological risk assessment, what is the primary purpose of the exposure-response relationship?
Answer: To quantify the probability and magnitude of adverse effects at measured exposure levels
Exposure-response relationships link measured or predicted contaminant concentrations to the likelihood and severity of harmful ecological effects.