Pollution Prevention and Good Housekeeping Flashcards
7 cards from real CESSWI practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Pollution Prevention and Good Housekeeping flashcards as text
Which of the following is an example of a non-stormwater discharge that is typically AUTHORIZED under NPDES Construction General Permits without additional permitting?
Answer: Uncontaminated groundwater pumped from excavations and dewatered to a vegetated area
Uncontaminated groundwater from dewatering that is discharged to vegetated or stable areas (not directly to waterways) is typically an authorized non-stormwater discharge under most NPDES construction general permits.
A construction inspector notices bags of fertilizer stockpiled in the open with no cover during the rainy season. What is the primary pollution concern?
Answer: Nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) leaching into stormwater and causing eutrophication
Uncovered fertilizer stockpiles allow rainfall to dissolve and transport nitrogen and phosphorus into stormwater, which can cause eutrophication (algae blooms, oxygen depletion) in receiving water bodies.
What does 'good housekeeping' mean in the context of NPDES stormwater permits for construction sites?
Answer: Implementing routine operational practices that minimize pollutant sources and pathways to stormwater
In the NPDES stormwater context, good housekeeping refers to operational practices — proper storage, waste management, spill prevention, and material handling — that reduce the potential for pollutants to contact and enter stormwater runoff.
How should liquid chemical containers (such as paint cans or solvent drums) be handled at the end of a construction day to minimize stormwater pollution risk?
Answer: Closed with lids tightly secured and stored in covered, secondary containment areas
Containers must be sealed and stored in covered secondary containment to prevent rainwater intrusion, spills, and the discharge of chemical-contaminated stormwater.
During a CESSWI inspection, you observe that construction workers are washing concrete trucks on an unpaved area of the site without any washout containment. Which regulatory requirement does this MOST directly violate?
Answer: NPDES permit prohibition on uncontrolled concrete washout discharges
Uncontrolled concrete truck washout on bare soil allows high-pH washout water to infiltrate and run off to waterways, directly violating NPDES construction permit requirements for concrete washout containment.
Which of the following is the MOST effective way to prevent dust generated by construction activities from becoming a stormwater pollutant?
Answer: Apply water spraying to suppress dust before and during activities that generate it
Water spraying (dust suppression) controls airborne particulates at the source before they can be transported off-site and deposited where they may later be washed into storm drains by runoff.
Under a typical NPDES Construction General Permit, how often must pollution prevention and good housekeeping measures be inspected during the active construction phase?
Answer: At least every 14 calendar days and within 24 hours of a 0.5-inch or greater storm event
Most NPDES CGPs require qualified personnel to inspect all BMPs, including good housekeeping measures, at least every 14 days and within 24 hours after a qualifying storm event of 0.5 inches or more.