Epa Core Knowledge Hazardous Waste Management 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under RCRA, which of the following is a characteristic of hazardous waste?
- Biodegradability
- Ignitability (Correct answer)
- Solubility
- Volatility
Correct answer: Ignitability
RCRA defines four hazardous waste characteristics: ignitability, corrosivity, reactivity, and toxicity (ICRT).
Question 2: Which federal law primarily governs the management of hazardous waste from cradle to grave?
- CERCLA
- Clean Water Act
- RCRA (Correct answer)
- TSCA
Correct answer: RCRA
The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) establishes the cradle-to-grave framework for managing hazardous and solid waste.
Question 3: A waste exhibits the toxicity characteristic if it contains regulated contaminants above threshold levels when tested using which procedure?
- The Bioassay Concentration Method
- The Total Threshold Limit Concentration test
- The Standard Methods for Aquatic Toxicity
- The Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) (Correct answer)
Correct answer: The Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP)
The TCLP simulates leaching in a landfill environment to determine whether a waste could contaminate groundwater above regulatory thresholds.
Question 4: Under RCRA, an aqueous waste is considered corrosive if its pH is at or below what value?
- 4
- 6
- 3
- 2 (Correct answer)
Correct answer: 2
RCRA defines a corrosive waste as one with a pH of 2 or less, or 12.5 or greater, due to its ability to corrode steel and harm tissue.
Question 5: Which RCRA listed waste designation covers wastes from specific industries such as petroleum refining and electroplating?
- P-list
- U-list
- F-list
- K-list (Correct answer)
Correct answer: K-list
K-listed wastes are source-specific hazardous wastes generated by particular industries, including petroleum refining and electroplating operations.
Question 6: Which RCRA waste list designation applies to acutely hazardous discarded commercial chemical products?
- F-list
- K-list
- U-list
- P-list (Correct answer)
Correct answer: P-list
P-listed wastes are acutely hazardous unused commercial chemical products that are discarded, posing severe risk even in small quantities.
Question 7: Under RCRA, a solid waste is classified as hazardous if it:
- Is generated in quantities greater than 1,000 kg/month
- Is disposed of in a municipal solid waste landfill
- Is generated at a facility with more than 100 employees
- Appears on an EPA hazardous waste list or exhibits a hazardous characteristic (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Appears on an EPA hazardous waste list or exhibits a hazardous characteristic
Under 40 CFR Part 261, a solid waste is hazardous if it is listed in EPA's hazardous waste lists or exhibits one or more of the four hazardous characteristics.
Epa Core Knowledge Hazardous Waste Management 1
Under RCRA, which of the following is a characteristic of hazardous waste?