Environmental & Sustainability Compliance Flashcards
7 cards from real CMS practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Environmental & Sustainability Compliance flashcards as text
Which of the following is an example of an 'indirect' or 'Scope 2' greenhouse gas emission under the GHG Protocol?
Answer: Emissions from purchased electricity used at the facility
Scope 2 emissions are indirect emissions from the generation of purchased electricity, heat, or steam consumed by the reporting company.
A facility is subject to RCRA and generates small quantities of hazardous waste. To qualify as a 'Very Small Quantity Generator' (VSQG), the facility must generate no more than how much hazardous waste per month?
Answer: Both A and B (they are equivalent)
A VSQG generates 100 kilograms or less (approximately 220 pounds) of hazardous waste per month, making options A and B equivalent thresholds.
The concept of 'industrial symbiosis' in sustainable manufacturing refers to which practice?
Answer: Waste or by-products from one company serving as raw materials for another
Industrial symbiosis occurs when one company's waste becomes another's resource, reducing overall material inputs and waste outputs across the industrial ecosystem.
Under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), manufacturers who intend to introduce a new chemical substance must submit which type of notice to the EPA?
Answer: Pre-Manufacture Notice (PMN)
TSCA Section 5 requires a Pre-Manufacture Notice (PMN) submitted to EPA at least 90 days before manufacturing or importing a new chemical substance.
When a manufacturing facility conducts an 'environmental aspect and impact' assessment for ISO 14001, what is the primary purpose?
Answer: To identify how operations interact with the environment and prioritize significant impacts
Identifying environmental aspects (activities that interact with the environment) and their impacts is a foundational ISO 14001 requirement to prioritize improvement efforts.
Which federal program requires manufacturing facilities that release listed hazardous substances above reportable quantities to immediately notify the National Response Center?
Answer: CERCLA/SARA Emergency Notification
CERCLA Section 103 and EPCRA Section 304 require immediate notification to the National Response Center when releases of hazardous substances exceed reportable quantities.
A manufacturer tracks 'water intensity' as a sustainability metric. How is water intensity typically expressed?
Answer: Gallons of water used per unit of production output
Water intensity normalizes water consumption to production output (e.g., gallons per unit), allowing meaningful comparisons across different production levels.