CPWM - Certified Professional in Waste Management Regulatory Compliance and Safety Questions and Answers — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An employee at a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) must clear a jam inside a large baler. To comply with OSHA standards, what is the most critical procedure to perform before the employee enters the machine?
- Conduct a pre-task safety briefing with a supervisor.
- Ensure a coworker is standing by as an attendant.
- Implement Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) procedures on the baler's energy sources. (Correct answer)
- Wear all required Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
Correct answer: Implement Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) procedures on the baler's energy sources.
OSHA's standard for The Control of Hazardous Energy (Lockout/Tagout), 29 CFR 1910.147, requires that machinery be isolated from all energy sources and rendered inoperative before maintenance or servicing is performed. This prevents the unexpected energization or startup of the equipment, which is the greatest risk in this scenario. While PPE, briefings, and attendants are important safety measures, they do not prevent the machine from activating.
Question 2: Under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), a party that arranged for the disposal or treatment of hazardous substances at a facility is known as what type of Potentially Responsible Party (PRP)?
- Arranger or Generator (Correct answer)
- Current Owner or Operator
- Transporter
- Successor-in-interest
Correct answer: Arranger or Generator
CERCLA Section 107(a) identifies four main classes of Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs). 'Arrangers' or 'Generators' are those parties that arranged for the disposal, treatment, or transport of hazardous substances they owned or possessed to the site in question.
Question 3: A large municipal solid waste landfill is subject to the Clean Air Act's New Source Performance Standards (NSPS). Which of the following is the primary regulatory requirement for such a facility once its non-methane organic compound (NMOC) emissions reach the specified threshold?
- Implement an enhanced leachate recirculation program to promote methane generation.
- Cease accepting waste until emissions fall below the regulatory threshold.
- Install a continuous emissions monitoring system (CEMS) for carbon dioxide.
- Obtain a Title V operating permit and install a gas collection and control system (GCCS). (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Obtain a Title V operating permit and install a gas collection and control system (GCCS).
Under the Clean Air Act NSPS (e.g., Subpart XXX), landfills exceeding a certain design capacity and an NMOC emission threshold (34 megagrams per year) must install and operate a gas collection and control system (GCCS). This system captures and destroys landfill gas to reduce emissions of methane and other pollutants. These facilities are also typically required to obtain a Title V operating permit.
Question 4: A truck is transporting a 2,000-pound (approx. 907 kg) shipment of a solid hazardous waste identified as "Corrosive, Class 8". According to Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations, what must be displayed on the exterior of the vehicle?
- A "Waste" placard and the material's UN identification number.
- A placard corresponding to the material's hazard class (Class 8 - Corrosive). (Correct answer)
- The generator's EPA ID number and company logo.
- No placard is required as it is a solid, not a liquid.
Correct answer: A placard corresponding to the material's hazard class (Class 8 - Corrosive).
DOT regulations in 49 CFR Part 172 require vehicles transporting over 1,001 pounds (454 kg) of a Table 2 hazardous material, such as a Class 8 Corrosive, to be placarded on all four sides with the appropriate hazard class placard. The physical state (solid or liquid) does not eliminate this requirement.
Question 5: In solid waste management, employees may be exposed to discarded needles and other medical sharps. The OSHA standard that specifically addresses the risk of exposure to viruses like HBV and HIV from such items is the:
- Bloodborne Pathogens Standard (29 CFR 1910.1030) (Correct answer)
- Hazard Communication Standard (29 CFR 1910.1200)
- Personal Protective Equipment Standard (29 CFR 1910.132)
- Confined Spaces Standard (29 CFR 1910.146)
Correct answer: Bloodborne Pathogens Standard (29 CFR 1910.1030)
The OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standard (29 CFR 1910.1030) is designed to protect employees from health hazards associated with exposure to blood and other potentially infectious materials (OPIM). This includes implementing exposure control plans, using universal precautions, and providing training and PPE to prevent injuries from contaminated sharps often found in waste streams.
Question 6: A permitted municipal solid waste landfill has a system for collecting and treating contaminated stormwater that has come into contact with waste. Before this water can be discharged into a nearby river, the facility must comply with the provisions of which federal regulation?
- Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA)
- Clean Water Act (CWA) through a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit. (Correct answer)
- Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Subtitle D
- Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)
Correct answer: Clean Water Act (CWA) through a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit.
The Clean Water Act (CWA) regulates the discharge of pollutants into waters of the United States. A landfill discharging treated stormwater or leachate from a point source (like a pipe or ditch) must obtain a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit, which sets specific effluent limits.
CPWM - Certified Professional in Waste Management Regulatory Compliance and Safety Questions and Answers
An employee at a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) must clear a jam inside a large baler.
To comply with OSHA standards, what is the most critical procedure to perform before the employee enters the machine?