CEA Water Quality & Waste Management 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 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:
- Resource Conservation Plan (RCP)
- Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) Plan (Correct answer)
- Facility Response Plan (FRP) only
- Risk Management Plan (RMP) under CAA Section 112(r)
Correct 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.
Question 2: Which water quality parameter is most commonly used to assess the oxygen-depleting potential of industrial effluent in a permit limit?
- Total dissolved solids (TDS)
- Chemical oxygen demand (COD) (Correct answer)
- Total coliform bacteria
- Settleable solids
Correct 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.
Question 3: Under RCRA land disposal restrictions (LDRs), which requirement applies before a hazardous waste may be land disposed?
- The waste must be treated to meet specified treatment standards (Correct answer)
- The waste must be neutralized to a pH of 7.0
- The generator must obtain a variance from EPA every two years
- The waste must be incinerated regardless of its characteristics
Correct 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.
Question 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?
- General pretreatment standards under 40 CFR Part 403 (Correct answer)
- Technology-based effluent limitations in NPDES permits
- CERCLA emergency removal authority
- State solid waste regulations under Subtitle D
Correct 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.
Question 5: Which type of drinking water contaminant regulation under SDWA requires public notification within 24 hours of a violation?
- Secondary contaminant exceedances affecting aesthetics
- Tier 1 violations posing acute risk to human health (Correct answer)
- Treatment technique violations not posing immediate risk
- Monitoring and reporting violations only
Correct 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.
Question 6: What is the environmental significance of 'wetlands of special concern' in a Clean Water Act Section 404 permit review?
- They automatically receive Section 402 NPDES permits
- They require individual permits with elevated scrutiny rather than nationwide permits (Correct answer)
- They are exempt from Section 404 jurisdiction
- They require only state notification without federal review
Correct 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.
Question 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?
- Treatment by incineration to reduce volume
- Source reduction to eliminate or reduce solvent use (Correct answer)
- Recycling solvents for use as fuel blending
- Secure landfill disposal as the baseline option
Correct 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.
CEA Water Quality & Waste Management 5
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: