Practice Test Geeks(CES) Certified Environmental Specialist Practice Test
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Waste Management and Pollution Control Flashcards

7 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 7 Waste Management and Pollution Control flashcards as text

  1. Which type of NOx control technology reduces nitrogen oxide emissions in combustion flue gas by injecting urea or ammonia in the presence of a catalyst?

    Answer: Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR)

    SCR injects a reducing agent (ammonia or urea) into flue gas over a catalyst, converting NOx to harmless N2 and water with high efficiency.

  2. Under the National Contingency Plan (NCP), which response action is intended to address imminent and substantial endangerment and is typically completed within days?

    Answer: Emergency removal action

    Emergency removal actions under CERCLA are short-term responses—typically completed within days—to address immediate threats to human health or the environment.

  3. A POTW receiving industrial wastewater must ensure that discharges do not 'pass through' or 'interfere' with the treatment process. This obligation stems from which regulatory requirement?

    Answer: Pretreatment standards under CWA Section 307

    CWA Section 307 and 40 CFR Part 403 establish the pretreatment program requiring industrial users to control pollutants before discharge to POTWs to prevent pass-through and interference.

  4. Which factor most significantly increases the bioavailability of a metal contaminant in soil to plants and soil organisms?

    Answer: Low soil pH (acidic conditions)

    Acidic soil conditions (low pH) increase the solubility and ionic form of most heavy metals, making them more bioavailable to plants and organisms.

  5. An environmental manager must ensure that used oil collected from vehicle maintenance is managed properly. Under RCRA, used oil destined for recycling is regulated under which subpart?

    Answer: 40 CFR Part 279 as used oil

    Used oil destined for recycling is regulated under 40 CFR Part 279, which establishes management standards distinct from hazardous waste rules to encourage recycling.

  6. Which air quality modeling approach is preferred by EPA for near-field dispersion modeling of industrial stack emissions in complex terrain?

    Answer: AERMOD

    AERMOD is EPA's preferred steady-state plume model for near-field applications and incorporates planetary boundary layer science for improved accuracy in complex terrain.

  7. A facility generates 200 kg of hazardous waste per month. Under RCRA, this quantity classification triggers which generator status?

    Answer: Small Quantity Generator (SQG)

    Generators producing between 100 kg and 1,000 kg of hazardous waste per calendar month are classified as Small Quantity Generators (SQG) with intermediate regulatory requirements.