CEA Study Guide 2026

ALARA (As Low As Reasonably Achievable) is the guiding principle for minimizing radiation exposure to workers and the public.

The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) primarily regulates the generation, transportation, treatment, storage, and disposal of hazardous waste. It also sets forth a framework for the management of non-hazardous solid waste. RCRA aims to protect human health and the environment from the potential hazards of waste disposal and to conserve energy and natural resources.

The severity of environmental impacts is significantly affected by the scale of the project or activity and the sensitivity of the receiving environment. A large-scale project will generally have a greater potential for impact than a small one, and an activity in a pristine or ecologically vulnerable area will likely have more severe consequences than in a degraded or resilient environment. These factors determine the magnitude and significance of environmental harm.

CERCLA, enacted in 1980, established the Superfund program and the liability framework for cleanup of uncontrolled hazardous substance releases.

The Pollution Prevention Act establishes source reduction as the most preferred approach, meaning preventing pollution before it is created rather than managing it after the fact.

The EPA was designated the lead federal agency for setting noise emission standards under the Noise Control Act of 1972.