Mixed Deck — All CPWM Topics Flashcards

What is the key difference between 'solid waste' and 'hazardous waste' under RCRA?

Answer: Hazardous waste is a subset of solid waste that meets listing or characteristic criteria

RCRA defines 'solid waste' broadly (including liquids and gases) and hazardous waste is a subset of solid waste that either appears on EPA lists or exhibits ignitability, corrosivity, reactivity, or toxicity.

What is the primary regulatory purpose of a gas collection and control system (GCCS) at a municipal solid waste landfill?

Answer: To capture and control LFG emissions to meet Clean Air Act requirements

A GCCS is required under the Clean Air Act to collect LFG and route it to a control device (flare or energy recovery system) to prevent uncontrolled release of methane and non-methane organic compounds.

The TCLP (Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure) is used to determine whether a waste exhibits which hazardous characteristic?

Answer: Toxicity

TCLP simulates leaching in a landfill environment to assess whether a waste can release toxic constituents above regulatory levels.

In an LFG collection system, what does a negative wellhead pressure (vacuum) measurement indicate?

Answer: The blower system is actively drawing gas from the waste mass toward the collection system

Negative (vacuum) wellhead pressure confirms that the blower is successfully applying suction to pull LFG from the waste mass into the collection system; pressure levels are adjusted to balance collection efficiency against air infiltration.

In a drop-off recycling program serving a rural county, which factor most significantly affects program cost-effectiveness?

Answer: Collection site density and haul distance to the MRF

In rural programs, low population density means higher per-ton collection costs, and long transport distances to processors drive up haul costs, making site placement critical to economic viability.

What OSHA standard requires employers to train workers on hazardous chemicals in the workplace and provide Safety Data Sheets?

Answer: 29 CFR 1910.1200 (Hazard Communication)

OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard (HazCom/GHS) requires SDS access and employee training on chemical hazards.

A municipality is experiencing increased fuel costs and service delays with its residential solid waste collection. The routes have not been updated in over seven years, despite significant residential growth. Which of the following strategies should be the primary focus to address these issues?

Answer: Conducting a comprehensive route optimization analysis.

Route optimization is the most direct and effective strategy to address issues of fuel inefficiency and service delays caused by outdated routes. By analyzing factors like new residential areas, traffic patterns, and vehicle capacity, new routes can be designed to reduce travel distance and time, leading to significant cost savings and improved service reliability. While other options might offer benefits, they don't target the root cause of the problem as effectively as route optimization.

A final cover system for a closed MSW landfill must include a layer with hydraulic conductivity no greater than:

Answer: 1×10⁻⁷ cm/s

Federal regulations require the low-permeability layer of a final cover to have hydraulic conductivity ≤1×10⁻⁷ cm/s, matching or exceeding the bottom liner performance.

Which factor most significantly increases the rollover risk for a rear-loading collection truck during operation?

Answer: High center of gravity from a top-heavy compacted load combined with sharp turns

A compacted, top-heavy load dramatically raises the vehicle's center of gravity, making sharp turns or uneven surfaces hazardous rollover scenarios.

Which air pollution control device is specifically designed to remove fine particulates (PM2.5) from incinerator flue gas using electrostatic charge?

Answer: Electrostatic precipitator (ESP)

Electrostatic precipitators charge particles using high-voltage electrodes and collect them on oppositely charged collection plates, effectively removing fine PM2.5 particles from flue gas streams.

Which of the following is the correct hierarchy of EPA enforcement responses, from least to most severe?

Answer: Notice of Violation → Administrative Order → Civil Judicial → Criminal

EPA typically escalates from informal (Notice of Violation) to administrative orders, then civil judicial actions, and finally criminal prosecution for the most serious violations.

Food waste sent to anaerobic digestion rather than landfill provides which key environmental benefit?

Answer: Reduces methane emissions while generating renewable biogas

Anaerobic digestion captures methane as biogas for energy use, preventing its uncontrolled release from landfills and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

A large-scale food processing plant wants to implement a resource recovery system for its significant organic waste stream. The primary goals are to generate renewable energy and produce a nutrient-rich soil amendment. Which technology best aligns with these objectives?

Answer: Anaerobic Digestion

Anaerobic digestion is a biological process where microorganisms break down organic matter, such as food waste, in the absence of oxygen. [1, 14] It produces two main valuable outputs: biogas (primarily methane), which can be used to generate energy, and digestate, a nutrient-rich material that can be used as a fertilizer or soil amendment. [20, 8]

Which federal regulation most directly incorporates SMM principles by requiring manufacturers to consider end-of-life management during product design?

Answer: Extended Producer Responsibility legislation

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) legislation shifts end-of-life management responsibility to manufacturers, incentivizing eco-design that reduces waste and facilitates material recovery.

A landfill cell has reached its final permitted elevation and is ready for closure. Which component of the final cover system is specifically designed to collect and remove precipitation that infiltrates the topsoil before it can reach the low-permeability barrier layer?

Answer: Drainage Layer

A typical final cover system is a multi-layered design. Below the topsoil/vegetative layer, a drainage layer, often made of sand, gravel, or a synthetic geonet, is installed. Its purpose is to intercept any water that seeps through the top layer and channel it away from the underlying impermeable barrier (like a geomembrane or clay layer), thus preventing the 'bathtub effect' where water accumulates on top of the barrier.

RCRA corrective action authority under Section 3008(h) requires facilities to clean up releases of hazardous waste or constituents at:

Answer: Any SWMU at a facility seeking or holding a RCRA permit, including historical units

Section 3008(h) corrective action applies to ALL solid waste management units at a RCRA-permitted facility, regardless of when the unit operated or whether it is still active.

Under RCRA Subtitle C, a hazardous waste transporter must obtain an EPA ID number and comply with manifest requirements. Who issues the EPA ID number?

Answer: The authorized state agency or EPA directly

EPA ID numbers for hazardous waste transporters are issued by the authorized state environmental agency or directly by EPA in unauthorized states.

Which post-closure care requirement for Subtitle D landfills specifies the minimum duration of monitoring and maintenance obligations?

Answer: 30 years after closure

EPA Subtitle D regulations require a minimum 30-year post-closure care period, though regulators may adjust this period based on site-specific conditions.

What does 'contained-in' determination mean under RCRA hazardous waste regulations?

Answer: An authorized agency determination that environmental media no longer contains hazardous waste

A 'contained-in' determination by an authorized state or EPA means that contaminated environmental media no longer contains hazardous waste and is no longer subject to RCRA management standards.

A waste treatment facility reports a heat recovery efficiency of 65% from an incinerator processing waste with a heating value of 10 MJ/kg at 100 tons/day. What is the daily energy recovered in GJ?

Answer: 650 GJ

Daily energy input = 100,000 kg × 10 MJ/kg = 1,000,000 MJ = 1,000 GJ; recovered energy = 1,000 GJ × 0.65 = 650 GJ.