Inspection and Enforcement Procedures Flashcards
7 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 7 Inspection and Enforcement Procedures flashcards as text
A state environmental agency has primacy (authorized program) under the Clean Water Act NPDES program. Which statement best describes EPA's role in that state?
Answer: EPA retains oversight authority and can take independent enforcement action if the state fails to act adequately
Even where states have authorized programs, EPA retains oversight authority and can step in with its own enforcement when state action is inadequate or delayed.
An inspector identifies a violation at a facility located near a low-income minority community. Under which executive directive must the agency consider whether enforcement actions address potential environmental justice concerns?
Answer: Executive Order 12898 on Environmental Justice
Executive Order 12898 directs federal agencies to identify and address disproportionately high adverse environmental effects on minority and low-income populations.
During a multi-media inspection, an inspector finds that a facility's air permit, water permit, and hazardous waste records all appear compliant. However, the inspector notices an unusual odor near a storm drain. What is the most appropriate next step?
Answer: Investigate the source of the odor as it may indicate an unpermitted discharge through stormwater conveyances
Inspectors must follow up on observable indicators of potential violations even if permit documents appear compliant, as illegal discharges often occur through stormwater systems.
A facility that generates small quantities of hazardous waste (SQG) wants to know the maximum amount of time it can accumulate hazardous waste on-site before it is required to ship it to a permitted treatment, storage, or disposal facility (TSDF). What is the correct limit?
Answer: 180 days
Small Quantity Generators (SQGs) under RCRA may accumulate hazardous waste on-site for up to 180 days without a storage permit, while large quantity generators are limited to 90 days.
Which of the following scenarios would most likely trigger an emergency enforcement response under Section 7003 of RCRA or Section 106 of CERCLA?
Answer: A leaking underground storage tank that is threatening to contaminate the sole-source drinking water aquifer for a nearby town
Imminent and substantial endangerment to public health or the environment, such as contamination of a drinking water supply, triggers emergency authority under both RCRA Section 7003 and CERCLA Section 106.
An inspector is conducting a pre-inspection file review and notes that a facility has never been inspected despite holding a major NPDES permit for 10 years. What does this information most directly influence?
Answer: The priority level and urgency of scheduling an inspection at that facility
A long period without inspection increases the priority of scheduling that facility for a compliance evaluation, as undetected violations may have occurred over time.
What is 'supplemental environmental projects' (SEPs) in the context of penalty settlement negotiations?
Answer: Environmentally beneficial projects a violator agrees to perform in exchange for a reduction in the cash penalty amount
SEPs are environmentally beneficial projects that violators voluntarily undertake in settlement negotiations, which EPA may credit against the cash penalty portion of a settlement.