Regulatory Compliance Flashcards

Under the Clean Water Act (CWA), which permit program regulates the discharge of pollutants from point sources into navigable waters of the United States?

Answer: NPDES permit

The National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program under the CWA controls water pollution by regulating point source discharges.

Which federal agency administers the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act) and sets workplace safety standards for most private-sector employers?

Answer: OSHA

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), within the Department of Labor, administers and enforces the OSH Act for most private-sector workplaces.

A facility stores more than 10,000 lbs of a highly hazardous chemical. Under OSHA's Process Safety Management (PSM) standard (29 CFR 1910.119), what is the facility required to develop?

Answer: A process hazard analysis and written PSM program

PSM requires facilities with threshold quantities of highly hazardous chemicals to develop a comprehensive written program including process hazard analysis.

Under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), who can be held strictly liable for cleanup costs at a contaminated site?

Answer: Current owners, past owners, generators, and transporters of hazardous substances

CERCLA imposes strict, joint and several liability on current owners/operators, past owners/operators, generators, and transporters of hazardous substances.

Which regulation requires facilities that manufacture, process, or otherwise use listed toxic chemicals above threshold quantities to submit annual Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) reports?

Answer: EPCRA Section 313

EPCRA Section 313 (Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act) established the TRI reporting requirement for toxic chemical releases.

A professional engineer discovers that a client's facility is in violation of a state environmental regulation. What is the PE's primary obligation under most state engineering ethics codes?

Answer: Advise the client of the violation and recommend corrective action

PEs must inform clients of regulatory violations and recommend corrective measures, balancing professional obligations with public protection duties.

Under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), a facility that generates more than 1,000 kg of hazardous waste per calendar month is classified as a:

Answer: Large Quantity Generator (LQG)

RCRA classifies generators producing more than 1,000 kg/month as Large Quantity Generators, subject to the most stringent regulatory requirements.