CES Regulations and Compliance 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under the Safe Drinking Water Act, which EPA program regulates the underground injection of fluids to protect underground sources of drinking water?
- Underground Storage Tank (UST) program
- Underground Injection Control (UIC) program (Correct answer)
- Sole Source Aquifer (SSA) program
- Wellhead Protection (WHP) program
Correct answer: Underground Injection Control (UIC) program
The Underground Injection Control program under the SDWA sets minimum federal requirements for injection wells to protect underground drinking water sources.
Question 2: Which EPA standard establishes the maximum acceptable risk level for individual cancer risk from hazardous air pollutant exposure under a residual risk review?
- 1 in 1,000
- 1 in 10,000
- 1 in 1,000,000 (Correct answer)
- 1 in 100,000
Correct answer: 1 in 1,000,000
EPA generally considers individual lifetime cancer risk levels above 1 in 1,000,000 (one-in-a-million) to be significant under residual risk assessments.
Question 3: Under RCRA, which characteristic makes a solid waste hazardous if it has a flash point below 60°C (140°F)?
- Corrosivity
- Reactivity
- Ignitability (Correct answer)
- Toxicity
Correct answer: Ignitability
Ignitability is the RCRA characteristic defined in part by a liquid waste with a flash point below 60°C.
Question 4: The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires federal agencies to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) when a proposed major federal action may result in what?
- Any measurable change to the human environment
- Significant environmental impacts (Correct answer)
- Expenditures exceeding $1 million
- Disturbance of more than one acre of land
Correct answer: Significant environmental impacts
NEPA requires an EIS for major federal actions significantly affecting the quality of the human environment.
Question 5: Under the Clean Water Act Section 404, who is the primary permitting authority for the discharge of dredged or fill material into waters of the United States?
- EPA Office of Water
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Correct answer)
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
- NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service
Correct answer: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers administers the Section 404 permit program for dredge and fill activities in waters of the United States.
Question 6: Which provision of the Clean Air Act established the Acid Rain Program, requiring SO2 and NOx emission reductions from electric utility plants through a cap-and-trade system?
- Title I
- Title II
- Title IV (Correct answer)
- Title VI
Correct answer: Title IV
Title IV of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 established the Acid Rain Program with SO2 allowance trading and NOx emission rate limits.
Question 7: A facility releases a listed hazardous substance above its reportable quantity. Under CERCLA Section 103, the National Response Center must be notified within what timeframe?
- Immediately (Correct answer)
- 24 hours
- 48 hours
- 72 hours
Correct answer: Immediately
CERCLA Section 103 requires immediate notification to the National Response Center when a reportable quantity of a hazardous substance is released.
CES Regulations and Compliance 3
Under the Safe Drinking Water Act, which EPA program regulates the underground injection of fluids to protect underground sources of drinking water?