CES Solid and Hazardous Waste 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which document must accompany a hazardous waste shipment from generator to treatment/disposal facility?
- Bill of Lading
- Uniform Hazardous Waste Manifest (Correct answer)
- Material Safety Data Sheet
- Tier II Report
Correct answer: Uniform Hazardous Waste Manifest
The Uniform Hazardous Waste Manifest is a tracking document required by RCRA to follow hazardous waste from 'cradle to grave.'
Question 2: Municipal solid waste landfills (MSWLF) are regulated under which RCRA subtitle?
- Subtitle C
- Subtitle D (Correct answer)
- Subtitle I
- Subtitle J
Correct answer: Subtitle D
RCRA Subtitle D governs non-hazardous solid waste management, including municipal solid waste landfills.
Question 3: Under CERCLA, which parties can be held liable for cleanup costs at a Superfund site?
- Current owner only
- Current and past owners, operators, generators, and transporters (Correct answer)
- Only the company that disposed of the waste
- Federal government agencies exclusively
Correct answer: Current and past owners, operators, generators, and transporters
CERCLA imposes strict, joint, and several liability on four classes: current owners/operators, past owners/operators, generators, and transporters.
Question 4: What is 'bioremediation' in the context of hazardous waste site cleanup?
- Excavation and off-site disposal of contaminated soil
- Use of microorganisms to degrade contaminants in place (Correct answer)
- Containment of contaminants using physical barriers
- Thermal destruction of organic contaminants
Correct answer: Use of microorganisms to degrade contaminants in place
Bioremediation uses naturally occurring or introduced microorganisms to metabolize and break down hazardous contaminants.
Question 5: A waste is listed as F001 under RCRA. This listing refers to wastes from:
- Petroleum refining operations
- Spent halogenated solvents used in degreasing (Correct answer)
- Electroplating operations
- Wood preservation processes
Correct answer: Spent halogenated solvents used in degreasing
F001 designates spent halogenated solvents (e.g., trichloroethylene, tetrachloroethylene) used in degreasing operations.
Question 6: Which waste management hierarchy is promoted by EPA as the preferred approach to solid waste?
- Disposal → Treatment → Recycling → Source Reduction
- Source Reduction → Reuse → Recycling → Recovery → Disposal (Correct answer)
- Incineration → Landfilling → Composting → Reuse
- Recycling → Composting → Incineration → Landfilling
Correct answer: Source Reduction → Reuse → Recycling → Recovery → Disposal
EPA's solid waste hierarchy prioritizes source reduction first, followed by reuse, recycling, recovery, and finally disposal as the least preferred option.
Question 7: What federal permit is required for a facility that stores, treats, or disposes of hazardous waste under RCRA?
- NPDES Permit
- RCRA Part B Permit (Correct answer)
- Title V Air Permit
- UIC Class I Permit
Correct answer: RCRA Part B Permit
A RCRA Part B permit is required for Treatment, Storage, and Disposal Facilities (TSDFs) handling hazardous waste.
CES Solid and Hazardous Waste 3
Which document must accompany a hazardous waste shipment from generator to treatment/disposal facility?