VIRGINIA LANDFILL OPERATOR LICENSE EXAM| NEWEST EXAM
PREPARATION WITH COMPLETE QUESTIONS AND
CORRECT ANSWERS WITH RATIONALES | ALREADY GRADED
A+||BRAND NEW VERSION!!
SECTION 1 – REGULATORY FRAMEWORK & COMPLIANCE (Questions 1–30)
QUESTION 1
Which Virginia regulation establishes the primary requirements for waste
management facility operators?
A) 9VAC20‑81
B) 18VAC155‑20
C) 9VAC5‑60
D) 29 CFR 1910
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: 18VAC155‑20 is the Virginia Board for Waste Management Facility
Operators regulation that sets licensing, training, and continuing education
standards specifically for operators.
Why the others are WRONG:
• A – 9VAC20‑81 covers solid waste management regulations (design, operation,
permitting) but NOT operator licensing.
• C – 9VAC5‑60 deals with air pollution control permits, not operator licensure.
• D – 29 CFR 1910 is OSHA general industry safety standards, not state
operator licensing rules.
QUESTION 2
Under Virginia regulations, how long is a waste management facility operator
license valid?
A) 1 year
B) 2 years
C) 3 years
D) 5 years
1
,Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Licenses expire two years from the last day of the month of issue.
Renewal requires continuing education (except the first renewal).
Why the others are WRONG:
• A – 1 year is the interval for some other states (e.g., Florida) but not VA.
• C – 3 years applies to some federal certifications, not VA operator licenses.
• D – 5 years is never used for VA operator licenses; no regulatory basis.
QUESTION 3
How many continuing education (CE) hours are required for each license renewal
in Virginia?
A) 4 hours
B) 6 hours
C) 8 hours
D) 12 hours
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Six (6) board‑approved CE hours are mandatory per renewal cycle,
except the very first renewal after initial licensure.
Why the others are WRONG:
• A – 4 hours is the requirement for some water/wastewater operators, not
landfill operators in VA.
• C – 8 hours is used by some other states (e.g., Ohio) but not Virginia.
• D – 12 hours is for certain professional engineers, not waste operators.
QUESTION 4
Which agency is primarily responsible for issuing waste management facility
operator licenses in Virginia?
A) Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
2
,B) Virginia Department of Health (VDH)
C) Virginia Board for Waste Management Facility Operators (VBWMO)
D) Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT)
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The VBWMO is the statutory board under the Department of
Professional
and Occupational Regulation (DPOR) that grants, renews, and disciplines
operator licenses.
Why the others are WRONG:
• A – EPA sets federal minimum standards (Subtitle D) but does not issue
state operator licenses.
• B – VDH regulates medical waste and some solid waste, but not operator
licensing – that is the Board's role.
• D – VDOT handles transportation, not waste facility licensing.
QUESTION 5
A Class II license permits an operator to manage which type of facility?
A) Transfer station only
B) Medical waste incinerator
C) Sanitary landfill
D) Waste‑to‑energy combustor
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Class II is the classification for operators of sanitary landfills,
industrial landfills, and construction/debris landfills in Virginia.
Why the others are WRONG:
• A – Transfer stations are typically covered under Class III or IV depending
on complexity, not Class II.
• B – Medical waste incinerators require a separate Class V or VI endorsement
for infectious waste, not Class II.
• D – Waste‑to‑energy plants require Class I or special thermal treatment
3
, licensure, not Class II.
QUESTION 6
Under 9VAC20‑81, which of the following is a required component of a solid
waste landfill's composite liner system?
A) Two layers of compacted clay only
B) A geomembrane over a compacted clay layer
C) A concrete slab with a drainage layer
D) A single‑ply polyethylene film without clay
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The regulation explicitly requires a "composite liner" – a
geomembrane (≥ 30 mil) placed directly on a compacted clay layer (≥ 2 feet)
to provide dual hydraulic barrier protection.
Why the others are WRONG:
• A – Two clay layers alone (without geomembrane) do NOT meet the federal
"composite" definition – they are a single barrier type.
• C – Concrete slabs are used for industrial waste or ash monofills, not for
MSW composite liners under 9VAC20‑81.
• D – A single geomembrane (without clay) lacks the backup barrier required
for Subtitle D composite liner design.
QUESTION 7
What is the required setback distance between a landfill and an interstate or
primary highway?
A) 200 feet
B) 500 feet
C) 1000 feet
D) 1500 feet
Correct Answer: C
4
PREPARATION WITH COMPLETE QUESTIONS AND
CORRECT ANSWERS WITH RATIONALES | ALREADY GRADED
A+||BRAND NEW VERSION!!
SECTION 1 – REGULATORY FRAMEWORK & COMPLIANCE (Questions 1–30)
QUESTION 1
Which Virginia regulation establishes the primary requirements for waste
management facility operators?
A) 9VAC20‑81
B) 18VAC155‑20
C) 9VAC5‑60
D) 29 CFR 1910
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: 18VAC155‑20 is the Virginia Board for Waste Management Facility
Operators regulation that sets licensing, training, and continuing education
standards specifically for operators.
Why the others are WRONG:
• A – 9VAC20‑81 covers solid waste management regulations (design, operation,
permitting) but NOT operator licensing.
• C – 9VAC5‑60 deals with air pollution control permits, not operator licensure.
• D – 29 CFR 1910 is OSHA general industry safety standards, not state
operator licensing rules.
QUESTION 2
Under Virginia regulations, how long is a waste management facility operator
license valid?
A) 1 year
B) 2 years
C) 3 years
D) 5 years
1
,Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Licenses expire two years from the last day of the month of issue.
Renewal requires continuing education (except the first renewal).
Why the others are WRONG:
• A – 1 year is the interval for some other states (e.g., Florida) but not VA.
• C – 3 years applies to some federal certifications, not VA operator licenses.
• D – 5 years is never used for VA operator licenses; no regulatory basis.
QUESTION 3
How many continuing education (CE) hours are required for each license renewal
in Virginia?
A) 4 hours
B) 6 hours
C) 8 hours
D) 12 hours
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Six (6) board‑approved CE hours are mandatory per renewal cycle,
except the very first renewal after initial licensure.
Why the others are WRONG:
• A – 4 hours is the requirement for some water/wastewater operators, not
landfill operators in VA.
• C – 8 hours is used by some other states (e.g., Ohio) but not Virginia.
• D – 12 hours is for certain professional engineers, not waste operators.
QUESTION 4
Which agency is primarily responsible for issuing waste management facility
operator licenses in Virginia?
A) Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
2
,B) Virginia Department of Health (VDH)
C) Virginia Board for Waste Management Facility Operators (VBWMO)
D) Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT)
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The VBWMO is the statutory board under the Department of
Professional
and Occupational Regulation (DPOR) that grants, renews, and disciplines
operator licenses.
Why the others are WRONG:
• A – EPA sets federal minimum standards (Subtitle D) but does not issue
state operator licenses.
• B – VDH regulates medical waste and some solid waste, but not operator
licensing – that is the Board's role.
• D – VDOT handles transportation, not waste facility licensing.
QUESTION 5
A Class II license permits an operator to manage which type of facility?
A) Transfer station only
B) Medical waste incinerator
C) Sanitary landfill
D) Waste‑to‑energy combustor
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Class II is the classification for operators of sanitary landfills,
industrial landfills, and construction/debris landfills in Virginia.
Why the others are WRONG:
• A – Transfer stations are typically covered under Class III or IV depending
on complexity, not Class II.
• B – Medical waste incinerators require a separate Class V or VI endorsement
for infectious waste, not Class II.
• D – Waste‑to‑energy plants require Class I or special thermal treatment
3
, licensure, not Class II.
QUESTION 6
Under 9VAC20‑81, which of the following is a required component of a solid
waste landfill's composite liner system?
A) Two layers of compacted clay only
B) A geomembrane over a compacted clay layer
C) A concrete slab with a drainage layer
D) A single‑ply polyethylene film without clay
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The regulation explicitly requires a "composite liner" – a
geomembrane (≥ 30 mil) placed directly on a compacted clay layer (≥ 2 feet)
to provide dual hydraulic barrier protection.
Why the others are WRONG:
• A – Two clay layers alone (without geomembrane) do NOT meet the federal
"composite" definition – they are a single barrier type.
• C – Concrete slabs are used for industrial waste or ash monofills, not for
MSW composite liners under 9VAC20‑81.
• D – A single geomembrane (without clay) lacks the backup barrier required
for Subtitle D composite liner design.
QUESTION 7
What is the required setback distance between a landfill and an interstate or
primary highway?
A) 200 feet
B) 500 feet
C) 1000 feet
D) 1500 feet
Correct Answer: C
4
