Epa Core Knowledge Epa Core Knowledge Pollution Prevention & Control 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the purpose of a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit?
- To regulate the discharge of pollutants from point sources into waters of the United States (Correct answer)
- To authorize the disposal of hazardous waste in approved landfills
- To permit the use of pesticides near waterways
- To establish air emission limits for stationary industrial sources
Correct answer: To regulate the discharge of pollutants from point sources into waters of the United States
NPDES permits set enforceable limits on pollutants that can be discharged from point sources such as industrial facilities and municipal wastewater treatment plants into US surface waters.
Question 2: What is a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) or Safety Data Sheet (SDS) used for in pollution prevention?
- To provide hazard information about chemicals to support safe handling and emergency response planning (Correct answer)
- To document the volume of chemicals purchased annually
- To track chemical waste generated at a facility
- To certify that a chemical meets EPA purity standards
Correct answer: To provide hazard information about chemicals to support safe handling and emergency response planning
An SDS provides detailed information on chemical hazards, safe handling procedures, and emergency response measures, supporting pollution prevention and worker safety planning.
Question 3: What is a 'green chemistry' approach in pollution prevention?
- Designing chemical products and processes that reduce or eliminate hazardous substances (Correct answer)
- Using only naturally derived compounds in industrial processes
- Applying green color coding to hazardous chemical containers
- Requiring all chemical purchases to be certified organic
Correct answer: Designing chemical products and processes that reduce or eliminate hazardous substances
Green chemistry focuses on designing chemicals and processes to minimize or eliminate the generation and use of hazardous substances at the molecular level.
Question 4: What is the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) program administered by EPA?
- A public database of toxic chemical releases reported annually by industrial facilities (Correct answer)
- A registry of all Superfund sites contaminated with toxic waste
- A list of banned pesticides and toxic substances under TSCA
- An inventory of federally regulated hazardous waste treatment facilities
Correct answer: A public database of toxic chemical releases reported annually by industrial facilities
The TRI is an EPA program requiring certain industrial facilities to annually report releases and waste management of listed toxic chemicals, making the data publicly available.
Question 5: What is the primary goal of EPA's Design for the Environment (DfE) program?
- To encourage businesses to consider environmental and health impacts when designing products and processes (Correct answer)
- To regulate the design of industrial facilities near sensitive ecosystems
- To establish building codes for environmentally friendly construction
- To certify consumer products as biodegradable
Correct answer: To encourage businesses to consider environmental and health impacts when designing products and processes
DfE helps businesses incorporate pollution prevention and safer chemical choices into the earliest stages of product and process design.
Question 6: Under the Clean Air Act, what is a New Source Performance Standard (NSPS)?
- A technology-based emission limit that applies to newly constructed or modified stationary sources in specific industrial categories (Correct answer)
- A standard that requires all new vehicles to meet zero-emission targets
- An air quality threshold that triggers permit review for new facilities
- A baseline emission level used to calculate offsets in nonattainment areas
Correct answer: A technology-based emission limit that applies to newly constructed or modified stationary sources in specific industrial categories
NSPS are federally established emission standards for new and modified stationary sources, based on the best demonstrated technology for controlling pollutants from specific industries.
Epa Core Knowledge Epa Core Knowledge Pollution Prevention & Control 2
What is the purpose of a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit?