CES Waste Management and Pollution Control 2

Question 1

Under RCRA, which characteristic makes a solid waste a hazardous waste due to its ability to cause fire during routine management?

Accepted Answer

Ignitability

Answer

Ignitability is the RCRA characteristic applied to wastes that can spontaneously combust or have a flash point below 60°C, posing fire hazards during storage or transport.

Question 2

A landfill operator notices leachate seeping from the base of an older unlined cell. Which regulatory mechanism most directly requires corrective action?

Accepted Answer

RCRA Subtitle D groundwater monitoring and corrective action requirements

Answer

RCRA Subtitle D requires municipal solid waste landfills to conduct groundwater monitoring and implement corrective action if contamination is detected.

Question 3

Which air pollutant standard is expressed as a 24-hour average concentration limit that must not be exceeded more than once per year on average?

Accepted Answer

PM10 24-hour standard

Answer

The PM10 24-hour NAAQS is set at 150 µg/m³ and is expressed as a standard not to be exceeded more than once per year on average.

Question 4

In stormwater pollution prevention, which best management practice (BMP) is classified as a source control rather than a treatment control?

Accepted Answer

Covering outdoor material storage areas

Answer

Covering outdoor storage areas prevents pollutants from contacting stormwater at the source, making it a source control BMP rather than a treatment control.

Question 5

Which process describes the biological decomposition of organic waste in the absence of oxygen to produce biogas and digestate?

Accepted Answer

Anaerobic digestion

Answer

Anaerobic digestion breaks down organic matter without oxygen, yielding methane-rich biogas for energy recovery and a nutrient-rich digestate residual.

(CES) Certified Environmental Specialist Practice Test

(CES) Certified Environmental Specialist Practice Test

CES Waste Management and Pollution Control 2