CEP CEP Hazardous Materials & Waste Management 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA), Section 302 requires facilities to notify the State Emergency Response Commission (SERC) if they store:
- Any listed hazardous waste above 1 kilogram
- Extremely hazardous substances at or above the threshold planning quantity (TPQ) (Correct answer)
- Chemicals listed on the TRI above reporting thresholds
- Any flammable material in quantities exceeding 100 gallons
Correct answer: Extremely hazardous substances at or above the threshold planning quantity (TPQ)
EPCRA Section 302 requires facilities to notify the SERC if they have extremely hazardous substances (EHS) at or above the threshold planning quantity, triggering local emergency planning requirements.
Question 2: Which regulatory program governs the cleanup of contaminated sites that are not on the National Priorities List (NPL)?
- CERCLA Superfund removal program
- RCRA Corrective Action program (Correct answer)
- Clean Water Act Section 404 program
- NEPA categorical exclusion process
Correct answer: RCRA Corrective Action program
RCRA Corrective Action (Section 3004(u)) requires facilities with RCRA permits to investigate and clean up hazardous waste releases, addressing contamination at non-NPL sites.
Question 3: In the CERCLA cleanup process, which step follows the Remedial Investigation (RI) to evaluate cleanup alternatives?
- Record of Decision (ROD)
- Feasibility Study (FS) (Correct answer)
- Removal Action
- Site Characterization Report
Correct answer: Feasibility Study (FS)
After the RI characterizes site conditions, the Feasibility Study (FS) evaluates remedial alternatives against nine criteria, leading to selection of a remedy in the Record of Decision.
Question 4: The 'toxicity characteristic' under RCRA TCLP (Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure) testing determines if a waste is hazardous based on:
- Its ignitability at standard temperature and pressure
- Whether leachate concentrations exceed regulatory thresholds for listed contaminants (Correct answer)
- The pH level of the waste material
- Reactivity when mixed with water
Correct answer: Whether leachate concentrations exceed regulatory thresholds for listed contaminants
TCLP simulates landfill leaching conditions; if the resulting leachate exceeds regulatory limits for any of 40 listed metals or organics, the waste exhibits the toxicity characteristic.
Question 5: Which remediation technology uses injected oxidants to chemically destroy organic contaminants in groundwater in situ?
- Pump and treat
- In situ chemical oxidation (ISCO) (Correct answer)
- Monitored natural attenuation
- Air sparging
Correct answer: In situ chemical oxidation (ISCO)
ISCO injects oxidizing agents such as permanganate, persulfate, or hydrogen peroxide directly into the subsurface to chemically destroy contaminants like chlorinated solvents and petroleum hydrocarbons.
Question 6: Under DOT hazardous materials regulations (49 CFR), the four elements that must appear on a shipping package label include the hazard class symbol, the hazard class or division number, and which two other elements?
- Proper shipping name and emergency contact number
- UN identification number and compatibility group
- The word(s) describing the hazard and the packing group (Correct answer)
- Net weight and country of origin
Correct answer: The word(s) describing the hazard and the packing group
DOT hazardous material labels must show the hazard class symbol, hazard class/division number, the text name of the hazard (e.g., 'Flammable Liquid'), and in some cases the packing group number.
CEP CEP Hazardous Materials & Waste Management 2
Under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA), Section 302 requires facilities to notify the State Emergency Response Commission (SERC) if they store: