Question 1

Thermal effluents consist of:

Accepted Answer

The resulting discharge into rivers and lakes from water used for cooling and condensing purposes in connection with industrial activities sometimes takes the form of heated water, called thermal effluents.

Question 2

Today, the estimated time needed to acquire the necessary permits to build a coal-fired electric generating plant is:

Accepted Answer

Today, the estimated time needed to acquire the necessary permits to build a coal-fired electric-generating plant is 5 to 10 years. This is nearly twice the length of time it took in the early 1970s.

Question 3

Under the Solid Waste Disposal Act, the federal role in nontoxic waste management is to:

Accepted Answer

Under the Solid Waste Disposal Act, the federal role in nontoxic waste management is limited mainly to promoting research and providing technical and financial assistance to the states.

Question 4

The Clean Water Act applies to:

Accepted Answer

The Clean Water Act applies to all navigable waterways, intrastate as well as interstate.

Question 5

The primary purpose of the Toxic Substances Control Act is to:

Accepted Answer

To meet the special environmental problems posed by the use of toxic chemicals, Congress in 1976 enacted the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). The primary purpose of the TSCA is to force an early evaluation of suspect chemicals before they become economically important.

Question 6

The Clean Water Act:

Accepted Answer

The Clean Water Act sets goals to eliminate water pollution. Various timetables apply in achieving these steps, according to the type of pollutant being discharged.

Question 7

Under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, a generator of wastes is obligated to:

Accepted Answer

To help ensure proper handling and disposal of hazardous and toxic wastes, Congress in 1976 amended the Solid Waste Disposal Act by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). Under the RCRA, a generator of wastes has two primary obligations: To determine whether its wastes qualify as hazardous under RCRA and to see that such wastes are properly transported to a disposal facility that has an EPA permit or license.

Question 8

Under the _____ approach, businesses can cut pollution beyond what the law requires and keep these reductions for their own future use or to sell to other companies as emission offsets.

Accepted Answer

A number of states have developed EPA-approved plans for emissions reduction banking. Under such plans, businesses can cut pollution beyond what the law requires and "bank" these reductions for their own future use or to sell to other companies as emission offsets.

Question 9

For control purposes, the Clean Air Act amendments divide air pollution into the categories of _____ sources.

Accepted Answer

For control purposes, the Clean Air Act amendments divide air pollution sources into two categories: stationary source and mobile source (transportation).

Question 10

Which of the following is a control device that stationary source polluters may utilize to achieve design standards?

Accepted Answer

To achieve designated standards, polluters must install a variety of control devices, including wet collectors (scrubbers), filter collectors, tall stacks, electrostatic precipitators, and afterburners.

Question 11

The _____ approach refers to pollution control system under which the right to discharge a certain pollutant would be auctioned off to the highest bidder.

Accepted Answer

We may be headed for a marketable rights approach to pollution control, under which the right to discharge a certain pollutant would be auctioned off to the highest bidder.

Question 12

The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act:

Accepted Answer

Federal regulation of pesticides is accomplished primarily through two statutes: the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act of 1947, as amended, and the Federal Environmental Pesticide Control Act of 1972 (FEPCA). Both statutes require the registration and labeling of agricultural pesticides, although FEPCA coverage extends to the application of pesticides as well.

Question 13

Opinion research indicates that the public's highest concern regarding regulation of industry is:

Accepted Answer

According to the opinion research organization Yankelovich, Skelly, and White, the control of toxic and hazardous chemicals "ranks first" on the public's list of where the government's regulation of industry is needed.

Question 14

The primary federal effort in solid waste management is represented by the _____ Act.

Accepted Answer

The Solid Waste Disposal Act passed in 1965 represents the primary federal effort in solid waste control.

Question 15

Under the _____ permits issued by the EPA, polluters can engage in a family of alternative operating scenarios without the expensive delay of obtaining new permits per the previous EPA requirements.

Accepted Answer

The EPA is experimenting with allowing states to issue "smart permits" to air polluters. Under these permits, polluters can engage in "a family of alternative operating scenarios" (i.e., engage in new operations) without the expensive delay of obtaining new permits as the EPA previously required.

Question 16

The _____ approach to pollution control refers to a situation where the government issues a limited number of pollution permits, and companies, which can reduce emissions, can sell the unused amount of a permit.

Accepted Answer

Under the principle of cap and trade, the government issues a limited number of pollution permits, effectively capping total greenhouse gases pollution. Companies then trade the permits. Whoever can reduce emissions can sell the unused amount of a permit.

Question 17

For the Department of Interior, the Endangered Species Act is administered by the:

Accepted Answer

The Fish and Wildlife Services and the National Marine Fisheries Services administer the ESA for the Department of Interior.

Question 18

Under the _____ concept, the pollution of the plant complex as a whole is the focus of regulation.

Accepted Answer

The EPA is encouraging the states, through their implementation plans, to adopt an approach called the bubble concept. Under the bubble concept, each plant complex is treated as if it were encased in a bubble. Instead of each pollution point source being licensed for a limited amount of pollution emission, the pollution of the plant complex as a whole is the focus of regulation.

Question 19

Total solid wastes produced yearly in the U.S. equals almost _____ tons for every individual.

Accepted Answer

Currently, total solid wastes produced yearly in the United States exceed 5 billion tons, or almost 25 tons for every individual.

Question 20

Under the Endangered Species Act, the right to declare a species as endangered rests with the:

Accepted Answer

Under the Endangered Species Act, the Secretary of the Interior can list any species as "endangered," that is, "in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range," except for certain insect pests. ("Threatened" species are also protected.)

Quiz 19: Environmental Regulation and Resource Sustainability