Environmental Compliance Inspector Environmental Hazards & Risk Assessment Flashcards
6 cards from real Environmental Compliance Inspector practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Environmental Compliance Inspector Environmental Hazards & Risk Assessment flashcards as text
Under CERCLA, which federal agency maintains the National Priorities List (NPL) for contaminated sites requiring long-term remediation?
Answer: U.S. EPA
The U.S. EPA administers CERCLA (Superfund) and maintains the National Priorities List of the most contaminated sites in the nation.
During a Phase II Environmental Site Assessment, what is the primary purpose of collecting subsurface soil and groundwater samples?
Answer: To confirm or deny the presence of contaminants identified as potential concerns in Phase I
Phase II ESAs involve intrusive sampling to confirm whether recognized environmental conditions from the Phase I assessment actually involve contamination.
Which exposure pathway would an environmental compliance inspector prioritize when assessing risk at a site with volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in shallow groundwater beneath an occupied building?
Answer: Vapor intrusion into indoor air
VOCs in shallow groundwater can migrate upward through the subsurface and enter buildings through cracks in foundations, making vapor intrusion the priority pathway.
What does the term 'de minimis' risk level typically represent in an EPA human health risk assessment?
Answer: A cancer risk of 1 in 1,000,000 or less
EPA generally considers a cancer risk at or below 10⁻⁶ (one in a million) to be de minimis, meaning the risk is too small to warrant regulatory action.
When conducting a risk assessment at a brownfield site, which receptor population typically drives the most conservative cleanup standards?
Answer: Future residential child occupants
Future residential child receptors drive the most conservative standards because children have higher exposure rates relative to body weight and longer future exposure duration.
An inspector discovers improperly stored drums of hazardous waste at a facility that lacks a RCRA permit. Under which regulatory framework would enforcement action most likely be initiated?
Answer: Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Subtitle C
RCRA Subtitle C regulates the generation, transportation, treatment, storage, and disposal of hazardous waste, including permitting requirements for storage facilities.