Environmental Compliance Flashcards

Which provision of the Clean Water Act regulates the discharge of dredged or fill material into waters of the United States, including wetlands?

Answer: Section 404 Dredge and Fill Program

Section 404 of the Clean Water Act requires a permit from the Army Corps of Engineers before dredging or filling wetlands and other waters of the United States.

What is a 'variance' in the context of environmental permitting and compliance?

Answer: An official permission to deviate from a regulatory standard under specific conditions

A variance is formal regulatory approval allowing a facility to operate outside normally applicable standards when specific criteria are met, such as economic or technical infeasibility.

Which federal law governs the registration, labeling, and use of pesticides in the United States?

Answer: Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA)

FIFRA requires all pesticides sold or distributed in the US to be registered with EPA and establishes requirements for labeling, safety testing, and proper use.

Under ISO 14001, what is the purpose of a 'legal register' maintained as part of an Environmental Management System?

Answer: Identifying and tracking applicable environmental legal and other requirements

A legal register systematically identifies all environmental laws, regulations, permits, and other obligations applicable to an organization's activities, products, and services.

A company discovers soil contamination on property it recently purchased. Under CERCLA, which defense may protect the company from cleanup liability?

Answer: Innocent Landowner Defense based on All Appropriate Inquiries conducted prior to purchase

The Innocent Landowner Defense under CERCLA protects purchasers who conducted All Appropriate Inquiries (Phase I ESA) before acquisition and had no knowledge of contamination.

What is the primary purpose of a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) required under industrial stormwater general permits?

Answer: Identifying pollution sources and describing controls to reduce pollutants in stormwater discharges

A SWPPP identifies potential sources of stormwater pollution, describes best management practices to minimize those sources, and establishes monitoring and inspection procedures.

Which regulatory framework requires chemical manufacturers and importers to evaluate and communicate hazards of chemicals through Safety Data Sheets (SDS) and container labeling?

Answer: OSHA Hazard Communication Standard (HazCom/GHS)

OSHA's HazCom Standard, aligned with the Globally Harmonized System (GHS), requires chemical manufacturers to classify hazards and communicate them through standardized SDS and labels.