Environmental Compliance Inspector Regulations & Legislation 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under RCRA, which of the following generators must submit a biennial report to the EPA?
- Conditionally exempt small quantity generators
- Small quantity generators
- Large quantity generators (Correct answer)
- All hazardous waste generators regardless of volume
Correct answer: Large quantity generators
Large quantity generators (LQGs) that treat, store, or dispose of hazardous waste are required to submit biennial reports to the EPA.
Question 2: The Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) Section 313 requires facilities to report releases of toxic chemicals through which mechanism?
- National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit
- Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) (Correct answer)
- Superfund Annual Report
- Hazardous Materials Transportation Act filing
Correct answer: Toxics Release Inventory (TRI)
EPCRA Section 313 established the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI), which requires covered facilities to annually report releases and transfers of listed toxic chemicals.
Question 3: Which federal law primarily regulates the cleanup of abandoned hazardous waste sites?
- Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)
- Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) (Correct answer)
- Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)
- Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA)
Correct answer: Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA)
CERCLA, also known as Superfund, was enacted to address abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous waste sites and holds responsible parties liable for cleanup costs.
Question 4: An environmental compliance inspector discovers a facility discharging pollutants without an NPDES permit. Which statute has been violated?
- Safe Drinking Water Act
- Clean Air Act
- Clean Water Act (Correct answer)
- Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
Correct answer: Clean Water Act
The Clean Water Act requires point sources discharging pollutants into waters of the United States to obtain an NPDES permit.
Question 5: Under the Clean Air Act, which standard applies to new or modified major stationary sources in areas that meet NAAQS?
- Lowest Achievable Emission Rate (LAER)
- Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) (Correct answer)
- National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP)
- New Source Performance Standards (NSPS)
Correct answer: Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD)
PSD review applies to new major sources and major modifications in areas that are in attainment with NAAQS, requiring Best Available Control Technology (BACT).
Question 6: Which section of TSCA gives the EPA authority to require testing of chemical substances that may present unreasonable risk?
- Section 4 (Correct answer)
- Section 6
- Section 8
- Section 12
Correct answer: Section 4
TSCA Section 4 authorizes the EPA to require manufacturers and processors to conduct testing on chemical substances or mixtures that may pose unreasonable risks.
Question 7: A facility subject to EPCRA Section 302 must notify the State Emergency Response Commission (SERC) if it has an Extremely Hazardous Substance (EHS) at or above which threshold?
- The Reportable Quantity (RQ)
- The Threshold Planning Quantity (TPQ) (Correct answer)
- The Permit Emission Threshold (PET)
- The Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT) threshold
Correct answer: The Threshold Planning Quantity (TPQ)
Facilities must notify the SERC if they have an EHS present in an amount equal to or greater than the Threshold Planning Quantity (TPQ) listed for that substance.
