Hazardous Waste Management Questions and Answers – Environmental Legislation – Water Quality Act

This set of Hazardous Waste Management Multiple Choice Questions & Answers (MCQs) focuses on “Environmental Legislation – Water Quality Act”.

1. The Clean Water Act (CWA) regulates __________
a) Discharge of pollutants into the waters of the United States
b) Discharge of pollutants into the waters of the United Kingdom
c) Discharge of pollutants into the air of the United States
d) Discharge of pollutants into the waters of India
View Answer

Answer: a
Explanation: Under the CWA, EPA has implemented pollution control programs, such as setting wastewater standards for industry and water quality standards for all contaminants in surface waters.

2. Section __________ of CWA regulates discharges of hazardous substances.
a) 311(b)(2)(B)
b) 311(b)(2)(A)
c) 312(b)(2)(A)
d) 311(b)(1)(A)
View Answer

Answer: b
Explanation: Section 311(b)(2)(A) of CWA regulates discharges of hazardous substances, which also includes formaldehyde. The list of designated hazardous substances is found at 40 CFR 116.4.

3. The CWA made it unlawful to discharge any pollutant from a point source into navigable waters, unless a permit was obtained.
a) True
b) False
View Answer

Answer: a
Explanation: EPA’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program controls discharges. Industrial, municipal, and other facilities must obtain permits if their discharges go directly to surface waters.
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4. The Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1948 was the first major U.S. law to address water pollution.
a) 1945
b) 1946
c) 1947
d) 1948
View Answer

Answer: d
Explanation: The Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1948 grew public awareness and concern for controlling water pollution led to sweeping amendments in 1972.

5. The Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1948 became CWA.
a) False
b) True
View Answer

Answer: b
Explanation: The Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1948 was the first key U.S. law to address water pollution, it was amended in 1972 and the law Clean Water Act (CWA).
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6. The CWA reduced the amount of pollution from _________
a) Point sources
b) Non-point sources
c) Chemicals
d) Mining
View Answer

Answer: a
Explanation: The Clean Water Act has been accredited with pointedly reducing the amount of pollution that enters the U.S. waterways from point sources, municipal and industrial discharges.

7. The discharge of regulated chemicals into surface waters is controlled by __________
a) SARA
b) CERCLA
c) NPDES
d) PDAC
View Answer

Answer: c
Explanation: The discharge of regulated chemicals into surface waters is controlled by the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) which entails contaminators to obtain federal permits for each chemical they discharge.
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8. The maximum amount of pollution that each waterway could absorb is known as _________
a) TMDL
b) TSML
c) TDSML
d) TDS
View Answer

Answer: a
Explanation: The TMDL establishes a target for total load of pollutant the water body can assimilate and allocates the load to point sources which are known as the waste load allocation and nonpoint sources known as the load allocation.

9. __________ requires EPA to establish regulations to protect human health from contaminants present in drinking water.
a) SAWD
b) SDWA
c) ASAW
d) SWSA
View Answer

Answer: b
Explanation: The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) permits EPA to develop national drinking water standards and safeguard agreement with these standards, and guides EPA to protect underground sources of drinking water through the regulation of underground injection of fluids to prevent pollution.
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10. Who is responsible for the clean-up of oil spill?
a) HWS
b) APS
c) Oil Pollution Act
d) SARA
View Answer

Answer: c
Explanation: The CWA and the Oil Pollution Act provide federal authority to prevent, respond to and clean up an oil spill or the threat of an oil spill.

11. Which section of CWA regulates land disposal of sludge?
a) Section 402
b) Section 403
c) Section 404
d) Section 405
View Answer

Answer: d
Explanation: Section 405 of the CWA regulates the land application and the land disposal of sludge – the solid, semisolid or liquid untreated residue generated during the treatment of domestic sewage in a treatment facility.

12. Which CWA program controls water pollution by regulating point sources?
a) SPCC
b) PCC
c) NPDES
d) PDA
View Answer

Answer: c
Explanation: The NPDES program controls water pollution by regulating point sources that discharge pollutants into the waters of the United States.

13. Which section of CWA is responsible for monitoring of wetlands?
a) Section 402
b) Section 403
c) Section 404
d) Section 405
View Answer

Answer: c
Explanation: Section 404 of the CWA establishes a program to regulate the discharge of dredged or fill material into waters of the United States, including wetlands.

14. Which CWA program manages non-point source pollution?
a) NPSMP
b) NSPPP
c) NSGOP
d) NPSRA
View Answer

Answer: a
Explanation: The CWA under Section 319 established the Nonpoint Point Source (NPS) Management Program to manage nonpoint sources of pollution.

15. When did CWA come into existence?
a) 1970
b) 1971
c) 1972
d) 1973
View Answer

Answer: c
Explanation: CWA was enacted in 1948 and was called the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, but the Act was suggestively reorganized and expanded in 1972. Federal Water Pollution Control Act became the Clean Water Act with amendments in 1972.

Sanfoundry Global Education & Learning Series – Hazardous Waste Management.

To practice all areas of Hazardous Waste Management, here is complete set of 1000+ Multiple Choice Questions and Answers.

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Manish Bhojasia - Founder & CTO at Sanfoundry
Manish Bhojasia, a technology veteran with 20+ years @ Cisco & Wipro, is Founder and CTO at Sanfoundry. He lives in Bangalore, and focuses on development of Linux Kernel, SAN Technologies, Advanced C, Data Structures & Alogrithms. Stay connected with him at LinkedIn.

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