Soil Contamination & Remediation Flashcards
6 cards from real CES practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Soil Contamination & Remediation flashcards as text
What is a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA)?
Answer: A record review and site inspection to identify potential environmental contamination liabilities without soil or water sampling
A Phase I ESA involves reviewing historical records, conducting site inspections, and interviewing knowledgeable parties to identify recognized environmental conditions (RECs) without invasive testing.
What is bioremediation?
Answer: Using microorganisms to break down or transform environmental contaminants into less harmful substances
Bioremediation harnesses naturally occurring or enhanced microbial processes to degrade organic contaminants (petroleum, solvents) into harmless byproducts like carbon dioxide and water.
What does the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) establish?
Answer: The Superfund program for cleaning up uncontrolled hazardous waste sites and assigning liability
CERCLA (1980), commonly known as Superfund, established a federal program to clean up abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous waste sites and created a liability framework for responsible parties to pay cleanup costs.
What is 'monitored natural attenuation' as a remediation strategy?
Answer: Allowing natural processes to reduce contaminant concentrations while monitoring progress over time
Monitored natural attenuation relies on natural physical, chemical, and biological processes (dilution, sorption, biodegradation) to reduce contaminant levels, with regular monitoring to verify effectiveness.
What is a Brownfield site?
Answer: A property where reuse or redevelopment may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of contamination
EPA defines brownfields as real property where expansion, redevelopment, or reuse may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants.
What is the purpose of a risk assessment in contaminated site management?
Answer: To evaluate whether contaminant levels pose unacceptable risks to human health or the environment and determine cleanup goals
Risk assessment evaluates exposure pathways, toxicity data, and receptor populations to determine if contamination poses unacceptable risks and to establish cleanup levels that protect human health and the environment.