Deck 47: Environmental Regulation

Question 1

The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)required that an environmental impact statement be prepared for every recommendation or report on legislation and for every major federal action significantly affecting the quality of the environment.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Until the federal government assumes partial or complete responsibility for a program of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA),the state government administers the program.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

The Clean Air Act does not provide for the regulation of fuel additives such as lead.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)enables individuals to treat,store,or dispose of hazardous wastes without having to wait for obtaining permits.

Question 5

Anyone who discharges industrial wastewater from a point source into a river must obtain a National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES)permit from the state where the discharge takes place or from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Question 6

Under the Clean Water Act,the states have the primary responsibility for preventing,reducing,and eliminating water pollution,and the states do not have to do this within a national framework.

Question 7

A developer seeking a local zoning change so she can build a major commercial or residential development may find that she is asked to finance a study of the potential environmental impact of her proposed project,as required under the _____.

A) Federal Water Pollution Control Act
B) Control of Air Toxics Act
C) Clean Air Act
D) National Environmental Policy Act

Question 8

The controlled hazardous waste sites with the lowest ranking are placed on the National Priority List to receive priority federal and/or state attention for initial cleanup.

Question 9

Under the Clean Air Act,manufacturers may sell vehicles without prior certification from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)if they have met the required standards in all prior checks.

Question 10

Which of the following statements is true of the Environmental Protection Agency?

A) It was created to consolidate the state government's environmental responsibilities.
B) It aims only at pollution problems that can be seen, smelled, or tasted.
C) Much of its initial effort to address environmental problems involved command and control regulation.
D) Over the decade of the 1970s, Congress passed comprehensive new legislation covering air and water pollution only.

Question 11

Which of the following statements is true of an environmental impact statement?

A) It does not discuss the alternatives to a proposed action.
B) It describes the environmental impact of a proposed action.
C) It does not spend time discussing impacts that cannot be avoided.
D) It eliminates the differences between short- and long-term impacts.

Question 12

The Safe Drinking Water Act cannot be applied to any trailer parks with wells.

Question 13

Under the Clean Air Act,the primary air quality standards are designed to protect the:

A) vegetation and materials.
B) climate and visibility.
C) public's health from harm.
D) economic values.

Question 14

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)required large emitters of greenhouse gases to report their annual emissions and announced that major emitters will have to address greenhouse gases in the permits they obtain under the Clean Air Act.

Question 15

When the Environmental Protection Agency expends money to clean up a "Superfund" site,it has the legal authority to recover its costs from those who were responsible for the problem.

Question 16

Under the Clean Air Act,a factory may be required to limit its emissions of volatile organic compounds to a certain amount per unit of production or hour of operation.

Question 17

The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA):

A) does not provide citizens the authority to go to court to force compliance with NEPA.
B) commissions a federal agency to assess the environmental impact of a project only after the project is undertaken.
C) does not spend time discussing impacts that cannot be avoided.
D) requires an environmental impact statement for every major federal action significantly affecting the quality of the environment.

Question 18

Penalties for violating the Clean Water Act range from a minimum of $2,500 for a first offense up to $50,000 per day and two years in prison for subsequent violations.

Question 19

The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)requires a federal agency to consider the environmental impact of a project before the project is undertaken.

Question 20

Under the Clean Air Act,routine maintenance,repair,and replacement activities as well as increases in hours of production that are not accompanied by increases in emissions are included in the definition of modification.

Question 21

Which of the following is true for air pollution controls on transportation provided by the Clean Air Act?

A) Under the Clean Air Act, no manufacturer may sell vehicles subject to emission standards without prior certification from the EPA that the vehicles meet the required standards.
B) The 1970 Clean Air Act required a reduction by 1976 of 60 percent in the amount of the carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons emitted by automobiles.
C) To satisfy the requirements of the 1970 Clean Air Act, manufacturers could rely on already existing technology to meet the pollution control standards.
D) The 1970 Clean Air Act does not provide for the regulation and registration of fuel additives such as lead.

Question 22

Which of the following statements is true of the Clean Air Act?

A) It requires that industrial facilities undergo major physical changes that result in significant increases in emissions of air pollutants.
B) It includes repair and replacement activities as well as increases in hours of production in the definition of modification.
C) It excludes vinyl chloride, benzene, and radionuclides.
D) It requires the Environmental Protection Agency to regulate the emission of toxic air pollutants.

Question 23

Which of the following is a true statement about the Clean Water Act?

A) It was the 1970 amendment to the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (FWPCA).
B) It provides that a discharge permit has to be obtained from the Army Corps of Engineers in order to deposit or discharge "refuse" into a navigable waterway.
C) It had a goal to have no discharges of pollutants into the nation's waters by 1985.
D) It provides the federal government with the primary responsibility for preventing, reducing, and eliminating water pollution.

Question 24

The _____ establishes a program governing the injection of wastes into wells.

A) Clean Water Act
B) Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act
C) Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
D) Safe Drinking Water Act

Question 25

Which of the following statements is true of volatile organic compounds?

A) They are substances which combine with nitrogen oxides to become ozone.
B) They are substances which release chlorines and deplete ozone.
C) They are substances which control air pollution.
D) They are also known as catalytic converters.

Question 26

Under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act,_____.

A) there are primary drinking water standards, which provide minimum levels of quality for water to be used for human consumption
B) any dredging or filling activity in a wetland that is part of the navigable waters of the United States requires a permit before the activity can be commenced
C) a permit system has been set up for regulating the dumping of all types of materials into ocean waters
D) there was a requirement for all ocean dumping of municipal sludge and industrial wastes to be terminated by the end of 1991

Question 27

The _____ is the organization responsible for certifying that an organization meets the requirements of ISO 14001.

A) National Safety Council
B) National Institute of Standards and Technology
C) American National Standards Institute
D) American Society for Quality

Question 28

The wetland permit program:

A) is administered by the Kyoto Protocol with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) involvement.
B) can limit a landowner's use of property when that use is viewed as injurious to the values protected by the Clean Water Act.
C) specified a list of 189 chemicals for which the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is required to issue regulations requiring the installation of the maximum available control technology.
D) established a program governing the injection of wastes into wells.

Question 29

Anyone who discharges industrial wastewater from a point source into a river must:

A) do so in compliance with the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.
B) obtain a permit from the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).
C) obtain a National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit.
D) follow standards prescribed by the Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act of 1972.

Question 30

The _____ was drafted with the intention of addressing the issue of global warming through collective international action.

A) National Environmental Policy Act
B) Clean Water Act
C) Kyoto Protocol
D) Copenhagen Consensus

Question 31

The Clean Air Act requires that new stationary sources such as factories and power plants:

A) install the best available technology for reducing air pollution.
B) install a system that raises the amount of hydrocarbons emitted by automobiles.
C) may sell vehicles subject to emission standards if the tests are not performed on prototype vehicles.
D) rely on already existing technology to meet the standards.

Question 32

Under the Clean Air Act,_____ are designed to protect vegetation,materials,climate,visibility,and economic values.

A) complementary standards for air quality
B) primary standards for air quality
C) elementary standards for air quality
D) secondary standards for air quality

Question 33

Under the Clean Water Act,the primary responsibility for preventing,reducing,and eliminating water pollution lies with:

A) international agencies.
B) the federal government.
C) the Environmental Protection Agency.
D) the states.

Question 34

ISO 14001 concerns _____.

A) guidelines for environmental auditing-audit procedures
B) life cycle assessment-principles and guidelines
C) guidelines for environmental auditing-general principles
D) environmental management systems-specification with guidance for use

Question 35

The _____ of 1886 provided that in order to deposit or discharge "refuse" into a navigable waterway,a discharge permit had to be obtained from the Army Corps of Engineers.

A) River and Harbor Act
B) Clean Water Act
C) Federal Water Pollution Control Act
D) National Pollution Discharge Elimination Act

Question 36

The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA):

A) establishes a program governing the injection of wastes into wells.
B) has the responsibility for designating disposal sites and establishing the rules governing ocean disposal.
C) provides the federal government and the states with the authority to regulate facilities that generate, treat, store, and dispose of hazardous waste.
D) requires identification and assessment of sites in the United States where hazardous wastes had been spilled, stored, or abandoned.

Question 37

Which of the following is true of the Safe Drinking Water Act?

A) A public water system is defined to include any supplier of water to the public that has 30 or more service connections or serves 250 people or more at least 180 days a year.
B) The standards must be met by "public water systems" and apply at the point the drinking water enters the water distribution system.
C) The standards are not applicable to private water suppliers that provide water to their citizens.
D) While states are required to enforce the drinking water standards, the federal government does not have the right to enforce them.

Question 38

Under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act,most of the wastes defined as hazardous are subject to:

A) a "cradle to the grave" tracking system.
B) refrain from following any procedures in the handling of the wastes.
C) proper disposal without treatment and storage.
D) on-site treatment before it enters the sewer system.

Question 39

The 1990 amendments to the Clean Air Act:

A) brought in civil penalties for violating the law-a minimum of $2,500 for a first offense up to $50,000 per day and two years in prison for subsequent violations.
B) does not deal with acid rain, while the 1970 Act did.
C) require the availability of oxygenated fuels in specified areas of the country that are having difficulty meeting the air quality limits at least part of the year.
D) require electricity-generating facilities to build tall smokestacks so that emissions are dispersed over a broader area.

Question 40

The primary responsibility for enforcing air quality standards lies with:

A) the federal government.
B) the states.
C) local governments.
D) international agencies.

Question 41

What are the major requirements a person who generates,treats,stores,or transports significant quantities of hazardous waste must meet?

Question 42

The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)requires persons who generate,treat,store,or transport specified quantities of hazardous waste to notify the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)of that fact and:

A) to obtain an ID number that must be placed on a manifest that accompanies all shipments.
B) to refrain from following any procedures in the handling of the wastes.
C) to eradicate the process of handling hazardous wastes.
D) to dispose hazardous wastes without waiting for permits.

Question 43

When is a discharge permit required under the Clean Water Act?

Question 44

"Community Right to Know" legislation:

A) requires an industry to disclose to the community the presence of certain listed chemicals.
B) is the law that regulates dumping of all types of material into ocean waters.
C) is the legislation that protects quality of ambient air through national ambient air quality standards.
D) establishes a cradle-to-the-grave regulatory system.

Question 45

Explain the Clean Air Act's approach for dealing with air pollution,including the role of the states.

Question 46

What is the consequence of placing a site on the National Priority List for cleanup under "Superfund"? Who can be responsible for cleanup costs of such a site?

Question 47

Ayush owned property which he discovered was contaminated with hazardous waste.He learned that Bayle Inc.had owned the property thirty years earlier,and had used it as a disposal site for manufacturing chemicals.Ayush also learned that Solly Trucking Inc.had hauled the chemicals to the site under contract with Bayle.Under these circumstances,which of the parties can be liable for the costs of cleaning up the site under the Comprehensive Environmental Response,Compensation,and Liability Act (CERCLA)?

A) Only Bayle is potentially liable under the CERCLA.
B) Only Ayush is potentially liable under the CERCLA.
C) Only Bayle and Solly are potentially liable under the CERCLA.
D) Ayush, Bayle, and Solly are all potentially liable under the CERCLA.
Under the given circumstances, Ayush, Bayle Inc., and Solly Trucking Inc. are all potentially liable under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA.) The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has the authority to require that a site be cleaned up by those persons who were responsible for it, either as the owner or operator of the site, a transporter of wastes to the site, or the owner of wastes deposited at the site.

Question 48

Describe Superfund's "Community Right to Know" requirement.

Question 49

The NIMBY or not-in-my-backyard refers to:

A) a national and international measurement organization which regulates environmental emissions in North American neighborhoods.
B) a syndrome in which people want the wastes from their community disposed of in any place but their own.
C) national industrial measures for barren industrial yards.
D) a national institution for the maintenance of biological and irrigational yield.

Question 50

Employees of a company that illegally disposes of hazardous waste without a proper permit:

A) may not be held criminally liable for their acts if their acts were undertaken on behalf of the corporation.
B) may not be held criminally liable for their acts unless they acted without the knowledge or approval of the corporation.
C) may be held criminally liable under Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) for actions undertaken on behalf of the corporation.
D) may be held liable to a minimum of $25,000 for a first offense up to $150,000 per day and five years in prison for subsequent violations.