NEHA Solid Waste Management 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which federal law is the primary statute governing solid waste disposal in the United States?
- Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) (Correct answer)
- Clean Air Act
- Comprehensive Environmental Response Act
- Safe Drinking Water Act
Correct answer: Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)
RCRA, enacted in 1976, is the principal federal law governing the disposal of solid and hazardous waste in the US.
Question 2: What is the primary environmental concern associated with sanitary landfills?
- Air noise pollution
- Leachate contamination of groundwater (Correct answer)
- Electromagnetic interference
- Light pollution
Correct answer: Leachate contamination of groundwater
Leachate, the liquid that percolates through landfill waste, poses a significant risk of contaminating underlying groundwater supplies.
Question 3: What does the term 'integrated solid waste management' refer to?
- Using only incineration for waste disposal
- A hierarchy combining source reduction, recycling, composting, and disposal (Correct answer)
- Transporting waste across state lines
- Mandatory recycling only
Correct answer: A hierarchy combining source reduction, recycling, composting, and disposal
Integrated solid waste management combines multiple strategies in a priority hierarchy: source reduction, reuse, recycling/composting, and finally disposal.
Question 4: Which gas is the primary component of landfill gas generated by decomposing organic waste?
- Carbon dioxide
- Methane (Correct answer)
- Hydrogen sulfide
- Ammonia
Correct answer: Methane
Methane (CH4) is typically the predominant component of landfill gas, comprising approximately 50% of total gas generated by anaerobic decomposition.
Question 5: Under RCRA Subtitle D, which entity is primarily responsible for regulating municipal solid waste landfills?
- Federal EPA
- State environmental agencies (Correct answer)
- Local municipalities
- Army Corps of Engineers
Correct answer: State environmental agencies
RCRA Subtitle D establishes minimum federal criteria for municipal solid waste landfills, but state environmental agencies are primarily responsible for their regulation and permitting.
Question 6: What is the purpose of a liner system in a sanitary landfill?
- To reduce odors from the landfill
- To prevent leachate from migrating into the soil and groundwater (Correct answer)
- To contain landfill gas emissions
- To stabilize the landfill surface for equipment
Correct answer: To prevent leachate from migrating into the soil and groundwater
Liner systems, typically composed of compacted clay and/or synthetic geomembranes, are engineered barriers designed to prevent leachate from contaminating surrounding soils and groundwater.
NEHA Solid Waste Management 1
Which federal law is the primary statute governing solid waste disposal in the United States?