Environmental Compliance Flashcards

Under the Clean Water Act, which permit program regulates point source discharges of pollutants into navigable waters of the United States?

Answer: NPDES Permit Program

The National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) under the Clean Water Act controls water pollution by regulating point sources that discharge pollutants into navigable waters.

Which federal regulation requires facilities to plan for and report accidental releases of extremely hazardous substances above threshold planning quantities?

Answer: EPCRA Section 302

EPCRA Section 302 requires facilities with extremely hazardous substances above threshold planning quantities to notify their State Emergency Response Commission and Local Emergency Planning Committee.

What is the primary purpose of a Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) Plan under the Clean Water Act?

Answer: Prevent oil spills from reaching navigable waters

SPCC Plans are designed to prevent oil spills from reaching navigable waters or adjoining shorelines by requiring facilities to implement containment and response measures.

Under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), which classification applies to a generator that produces between 100 and 1,000 kilograms of hazardous waste per month?

Answer: Small Quantity Generator (SQG)

Under RCRA, Small Quantity Generators (SQGs) produce between 100 and 1,000 kg of hazardous waste per month and have intermediate regulatory requirements.

Which environmental law established the Superfund program to clean up sites contaminated with hazardous substances?

Answer: Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA)

CERCLA, commonly known as Superfund, created a tax on chemical and petroleum industries and provided broad federal authority to respond directly to releases of hazardous substances.

What does an Environmental Management System (EMS) based on ISO 14001 require as its core planning element?

Answer: Identification of environmental aspects and their impacts

ISO 14001 requires organizations to identify environmental aspects of their activities and determine which have significant impacts as the foundation of their EMS planning.

Under the Clean Air Act, what is a Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) permit designed to protect?

Answer: Areas already meeting air quality standards from significant air quality degradation

PSD permits protect areas that already meet NAAQS by ensuring new or modified major sources don't significantly worsen air quality in those attainment areas.