Practice Test Geeks(CEA) Certified Environmental Auditor Practice Test
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Water Quality & Waste Management 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 Water Quality & Waste Management flashcards as text

  1. A facility stores 12,000 gallons of petroleum products above ground in a single tank. Under 40 CFR Part 112, this facility must prepare a:

    Answer: Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) Plan

    Facilities with aboveground oil storage capacity exceeding 1,320 gallons (or underground storage over 42,000 gallons) must prepare an SPCC Plan under 40 CFR Part 112.

  2. Which water quality parameter is most commonly used to assess the oxygen-depleting potential of industrial effluent in a permit limit?

    Answer: Chemical oxygen demand (COD)

    Chemical oxygen demand (COD) measures the amount of oxygen required to chemically oxidize all organic matter and is widely used as a permit limit for industrial effluent.

  3. Under RCRA land disposal restrictions (LDRs), which requirement applies before a hazardous waste may be land disposed?

    Answer: The waste must be treated to meet specified treatment standards

    LDRs require that hazardous wastes meet EPA-specified treatment standards (either technology-based or concentration-based) before land disposal.

  4. An auditor reviewing a publicly owned treatment works (POTW) finds that an industrial user is discharging high concentrations of copper. Which regulatory mechanism specifically controls industrial discharges to POTWs?

    Answer: General pretreatment standards under 40 CFR Part 403

    The General Pretreatment Program (40 CFR Part 403) establishes standards for industrial users discharging to POTWs to protect treatment plant operations and receiving waters.

  5. Which type of drinking water contaminant regulation under SDWA requires public notification within 24 hours of a violation?

    Answer: Tier 1 violations posing acute risk to human health

    Tier 1 public notifications are required within 24 hours for violations posing acute health risks, such as E. coli MCL violations or waterborne disease outbreaks.

  6. What is the environmental significance of 'wetlands of special concern' in a Clean Water Act Section 404 permit review?

    Answer: They require individual permits with elevated scrutiny rather than nationwide permits

    Wetlands of special concern (e.g., high ecological value or proximity to critical habitats) must use individual 404 permits with enhanced review rather than faster nationwide general permits.

  7. A waste minimization audit finds that a manufacturer generates 500 kg/month of F003 listed hazardous waste spent solvents. Which hierarchy of waste management options should the auditor recommend first?

    Answer: Source reduction to eliminate or reduce solvent use

    EPA's waste management hierarchy prioritizes source reduction (prevention) above all other options, followed by reuse, recycling, treatment, and disposal.