CEM Air Quality Management & Monitoring 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the primary federal law governing air quality and air emissions in the United States?
- Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)
- Clean Air Act (CAA) (Correct answer)
- Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA)
- Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA)
Correct answer: Clean Air Act (CAA)
The Clean Air Act (CAA) is the primary federal statute regulating air emissions from stationary and mobile sources to protect public health and the environment.
Question 2: Which agency establishes the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for criteria air pollutants?
- State Environmental Protection Agencies
- U.S. EPA under the Clean Air Act (Correct answer)
- OSHA under the Occupational Safety and Health Act
- Department of Energy
Correct answer: U.S. EPA under the Clean Air Act
The U.S. EPA establishes NAAQS under the Clean Air Act to protect public health (primary standards) and welfare (secondary standards) from criteria air pollutants.
Question 3: Which of the following is NOT one of the six criteria air pollutants regulated under NAAQS?
- Carbon monoxide (CO)
- Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂)
- Hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) (Correct answer)
- Particulate matter (PM2.5)
Correct answer: Hydrogen sulfide (H₂S)
The six NAAQS criteria pollutants are ozone, particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and lead; hydrogen sulfide is not included.
Question 4: Under the Clean Air Act, a stationary source emitting 100 tons per year or more of a regulated pollutant is classified as a:
- Minor source
- Major source (Correct answer)
- Area source
- De minimis source
Correct answer: Major source
The CAA defines a major stationary source as one that emits or has the potential to emit 100 tons per year or more of any regulated air pollutant.
Question 5: Which permit program applies to new or modified major sources located in areas that do not meet NAAQS (nonattainment areas)?
- Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD)
- New Source Review – Nonattainment (NSR) (Correct answer)
- Title V Operating Permit Program
- State Implementation Plan (SIP) exemption
Correct answer: New Source Review – Nonattainment (NSR)
The Nonattainment New Source Review (NSR) program applies to major new or modified sources in nonattainment areas, requiring them to achieve the Lowest Achievable Emission Rate (LAER).
Question 6: What is the primary purpose of a Title V operating permit under the Clean Air Act?
- To establish emission limits for new construction only
- To consolidate all applicable Clean Air Act requirements into one comprehensive permit for major sources (Correct answer)
- To regulate mobile source emissions nationally
- To set region-specific air quality standards above NAAQS
Correct answer: To consolidate all applicable Clean Air Act requirements into one comprehensive permit for major sources
Title V operating permits consolidate all federally applicable Clean Air Act requirements for major sources into a single permit, simplifying compliance tracking and enforcement.
Question 7: Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) permits are required for major new or modified sources in areas that:
- Exceed NAAQS for at least one pollutant
- Meet or are cleaner than NAAQS (attainment or unclassifiable areas) (Correct answer)
- Have no existing permitted emission sources
- Are classified as nonattainment for ozone only
Correct answer: Meet or are cleaner than NAAQS (attainment or unclassifiable areas)
PSD permitting applies in attainment and unclassifiable areas to ensure that new or modified major sources do not cause significant deterioration of already-clean air quality.
CEM Air Quality Management & Monitoring 1
What is the primary federal law governing air quality and air emissions in the United States?