CPWM Hazardous Waste Management 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under 40 CFR Part 264, what minimum liner system is required for new hazardous waste landfill units?
- Single clay liner
- Double liner system with leachate collection between liners (Correct answer)
- Composite liner with geomembrane only
- Compacted soil liner 3 feet thick
Correct answer: Double liner system with leachate collection between liners
New hazardous waste landfills must have a double liner with a leachate collection and removal system between the liners.
Question 2: The TCLP (Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure) is used to determine whether a waste exhibits which hazardous characteristic?
- Ignitability
- Corrosivity
- Reactivity
- Toxicity (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Toxicity
TCLP simulates leaching in a landfill environment to assess whether a waste can release toxic constituents above regulatory levels.
Question 3: Which RCRA requirement mandates that TSDFs assess potential releases and implement corrective action for solid waste management units (SWMUs)?
- Land Disposal Restrictions
- Corrective Action (40 CFR Part 264 Subpart F) (Correct answer)
- Groundwater Monitoring (40 CFR 264.90)
- Air Emission Standards (40 CFR 264 Subpart AA)
Correct answer: Corrective Action (40 CFR Part 264 Subpart F)
RCRA Corrective Action under 40 CFR Part 264 Subpart F requires TSDFs to investigate and remediate releases from all SWMUs.
Question 4: A drum of spent solvent is labeled 'F005.' What does the 'F' listing designation indicate?
- Characteristic hazardous waste from a specific industry
- Non-specific source hazardous waste from common industrial processes (Correct answer)
- Acute hazardous waste from discarded commercial chemicals
- Mixed radioactive and hazardous waste
Correct answer: Non-specific source hazardous waste from common industrial processes
F-listed wastes are non-specific source wastes generated from common industrial processes such as solvent use, not tied to one industry.
Question 5: What is the regulatory purpose of Land Disposal Restrictions (LDRs) under RCRA?
- Limit the total volume of waste deposited in landfills annually
- Require treatment to reduce toxicity or mobility before land disposal (Correct answer)
- Ban all hazardous waste landfilling after 1990
- Set maximum acreage limits for TSDFs
Correct answer: Require treatment to reduce toxicity or mobility before land disposal
LDRs require hazardous wastes to be treated to specified standards to reduce their toxicity or mobility prior to land disposal.
Question 6: Under EPCRA Section 313, what is the annual reporting deadline for Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) Form R submissions?
- January 31
- March 1
- July 1 (Correct answer)
- October 31
Correct answer: July 1
TRI Form R reports covering releases and transfers of listed toxic chemicals in the prior calendar year are due July 1.
Question 7: Which agency administers the National Contingency Plan (NCP) that governs response to hazardous substance releases?
- FEMA
- OSHA
- EPA (Correct answer)
- DOT
Correct answer: EPA
EPA administers the NCP (40 CFR Part 300), which establishes procedures for responding to oil and hazardous substance releases.
CPWM Hazardous Waste Management 3
Under 40 CFR Part 264, what minimum liner system is required for new hazardous waste landfill units?