CFA Environmental Impact & Safety Regulations 4

Question 1

A Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) land-applies manure as fertilizer. Which permit does the CAFO likely require under the Clean Water Act?

Accepted Answer

NPDES permit

Answer

Large CAFOs are defined as point sources under the Clean Water Act and must obtain National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits for their wastewater and runoff discharges.

Question 2

Which soil application timing is most likely to result in nitrogen loss via denitrification?

Accepted Answer

Application to waterlogged or flooded soil after heavy rain

Answer

Denitrification is an anaerobic microbial process that converts nitrate to nitrogen gas; it occurs most rapidly in waterlogged, oxygen-depleted soils.

Question 3

A setback requirement in a state nutrient management regulation prohibits fertilizer application within 50 feet of a stream. What is the primary purpose of this setback?

Accepted Answer

To prevent nutrient-laden runoff and drift from directly entering the waterway

Answer

Setback requirements create a buffer zone that reduces direct nutrient input to water bodies by allowing runoff to infiltrate and nutrients to be absorbed before reaching the stream.

Question 4

Under OSHA's Process Safety Management (PSM) standard, a facility storing anhydrous ammonia above 10,000 pounds must develop which key safety document?

Accepted Answer

Process Hazard Analysis (PHA)

Answer

PSM requires a Process Hazard Analysis to systematically identify, evaluate, and control hazards associated with processes involving highly hazardous chemicals above threshold quantities.

Question 5

Which nutrient application method generally results in the lowest risk of ammonia volatilization loss?

Accepted Answer

Injecting anhydrous ammonia or liquid nitrogen subsurface

Answer

Subsurface injection places nitrogen below the soil surface where soil moisture and cation exchange sites trap ammonium ions, dramatically reducing ammonia volatilization to the atmosphere.

CFA Practice Test

CFA Practice Test

CFA Environmental Impact & Safety Regulations 4