Pollution Prevention and Sustainability Flashcards

According to the EPA's pollution prevention hierarchy, what is the most preferred approach to managing hazardous materials?

Answer: Source reduction to prevent waste generation

Source reduction is the most preferred approach in the P2 hierarchy because it prevents pollutants from being generated in the first place, eliminating downstream disposal and treatment costs.

The federal Pollution Prevention Act of 1990 was primarily enacted to:

Answer: Shift national policy toward reducing pollution at its source

The Pollution Prevention Act of 1990 established a national policy prioritizing source reduction over treatment or disposal, formalizing P2 as the preferred environmental strategy.

Which of the following best defines 'source reduction' under the Pollution Prevention Act?

Answer: Any practice that reduces the amount or toxicity of waste entering the waste stream prior to recycling or treatment

Source reduction specifically means reducing the volume or toxicity of waste before it enters the waste stream, excluding recycling, treatment, or disposal activities.

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is used in pollution prevention primarily to:

Answer: Evaluate environmental impacts of a product or process from raw material extraction through end-of-life

LCA is a systematic tool that quantifies environmental impacts across all stages of a product's or process's life, enabling better decision-making for pollution prevention.

What is the primary objective of the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) program under EPCRA Section 313?

Answer: To provide communities and the public with information about toxic chemical releases from industrial facilities

TRI is a public right-to-know program that requires covered facilities to report annual releases and transfers of listed toxic chemicals, empowering communities with environmental information.

Green chemistry principles focus primarily on:

Answer: Designing chemical products and processes to reduce or eliminate hazardous substances

Green chemistry, as articulated by Paul Anastas and John Warner, centers on designing chemicals and processes that minimize hazard and waste at the molecular level.

A manufacturing facility eliminates the use of a chlorinated solvent by redesigning its cleaning process to use ultrasonic cleaning. This is best classified as:

Answer: Source reduction through process modification

Redesigning a process to eliminate a hazardous input is source reduction through process modification, the highest tier of the P2 hierarchy.