CHMM Pollution Prevention and Sustainability

Question 1

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

Accepted Answer

Source reduction to prevent waste generation

Answer

Recycling and reuse of waste streams

Answer

Treatment of waste prior to disposal

Answer

Environmentally sound disposal of waste

Question 2

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

Accepted Answer

Shift national policy toward reducing pollution at its source

Answer

Establish Superfund liability for contaminated sites

Answer

Set numeric limits on industrial discharge to waterways

Answer

Require facilities to install end-of-pipe treatment technology

Question 3

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

Accepted Answer

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

Answer

Recycling hazardous waste on-site before disposal

Answer

Treating hazardous waste to reduce its volume at the point of generation

Answer

Diverting waste to beneficial reuse programs at downstream facilities

Question 4

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

Accepted Answer

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

Answer

Calculate disposal costs for hazardous waste manifests

Answer

Determine regulatory compliance thresholds for TRI reporting

Answer

Estimate remediation costs at contaminated sites

Question 5

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

Accepted Answer

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

Answer

To assess criminal liability for illegal hazardous waste disposal

Answer

To set enforceable limits on the quantities of chemicals a facility may release

Answer

To catalog all RCRA-listed hazardous wastes generated nationally

Question 6

Green chemistry principles focus primarily on:

Accepted Answer

Designing chemical products and processes to reduce or eliminate hazardous substances

Answer

Accelerating the cleanup of brownfield sites using bioremediation

Answer

Establishing green-labeled disposal facilities certified by the EPA

Answer

Replacing synthetic chemicals with naturally derived alternatives in all applications

Question 7

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

Accepted Answer

Source reduction through process modification

Answer

Recycling and materials recovery

Answer

Waste treatment via substitution

Answer

Pollution control through engineering controls