Environmental Law Test Questions with Correct Answers 100% Solved
Which of the following statements about New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) under the Clean
Air Act is true? - Answers The NSPS are technology-based, reflecting the pollution control technologies
currently available.
Which of the following best defines the practice known as grandfathering, as seen with New Source
Performance Standards and similar regulations? - Answers Setting tougher standards for newly-built
facilities, and easier standards for already-existing facilities
Which of the following statements about emissions trading under the Clean Air Act is true? - Answers
Emissions trading allows targeted levels of emissions to be achieved at relatively low compliance costs.
Which of the following best describes bubbling as a form of emission trading? - Answers Required
emission reductions are applied to the total emissions from all sources at a particular site, rather
treating each source separately.
Which of the following is a potential problem associated with emission trading programs, relative to
traditional "command-and-control" regulations? - Answers Trading programs can lead to areas of
concentrated pollution known as "hot spots."
According to the textbook, which of the following statements about water pollution in the U.S. and the
Clean Water Act (CWA) is true? - Answers (a) The CWA has substantially decreased the pollution
discharged from factories and sewage treatment plants into the nation's waters.
(b) Since the CWA was enacted, the nation's waters have become cleaner.
(c) In recent studies, large numbers of the nation's waterways were still impaired by water pollution.
Which of the following statements about the regulation of point sources under the National Pollutant
Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) is true? - Answers Point sources must comply with emission limits
or technological requirements set forth in their NPDES permits.
Which of the following best describes the regulation of non-point sources (NPS) under the Clean Water
Act (CWA)? - Answers Regulation of NPS pollution is mostly left to state governments, which have
generally not implemented strong restrictions.
How are wetlands regulated under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act? - Answers No one can fill or
discharge material into a regulated wetland without a permit.
How is the term "navigable waters" defined in the Clean Water Act? - Answers Waters of the United
States, including the territorial seas
Which of the following best describes a legal principle established in the American Mining Congress
cases? - Answers By-products stored briefly on-site for re-use in a production process are not considered
waste subject to RCRA requirements.
, Which of the following best describes an example of the problem of media shifting, with respect to
Subtitle C of RCRA? - Answers Requirements for expensive treatment of hazardous wastes disposed of in
landfills has encouraged the incineration of wastes, with potentially worse consequences.
Which of the following can be liable as a potentially responsible party (PRP) under CERCLA? - Answers
(a) The owner of the site at the time it became contaminated
(b) The operator of the site at the time it became contaminated
(c) The current owner of the site
(d) People who disposed of hazardous material at the site
Which of the following best defines the strict liability of potentially responsible parties (PRPs) under
CERCLA? - Answers A PRP can be held responsible for cleanup costs regardless of whether the PRP's
actions were careless or caused any harm.
Which of the following best describes the brownfields issue related to CERCLA? - Answers Fearing
Superfund liability, developers often avoid former industrial sites and instead locate new construction in
pristine areas outside cities.
What do the textbook authors mean when they say that the Endangered Species Act (ESA) takes an
"emergency room" approach to protecting biodiversity? - Answers The ESA provides essentially no
protection to a species until it is on the verge of extinction.
Which of the following agencies is responsible for administering the Endangered Species Act? - Answers
-Fish and Wildlife Service
-National Marine Fisheries Service
Which of the following criteria are officials required to consider when deciding whether to list a species
for protection under the Endangered Species Act? - Answers Scientific data regarding whether the
species is in danger of extinction
Which of the following entities face restrictions under the Endangered Species Act? - Answers -federal
agencies
-private landowners
Which of the following is a criticism of the ESA's section 9 restrictions, as described by the textbook (ST)?
- Answers (a) The law may encourage private landowners to destroy endangered species habitat, either
legally before the species is listed or illegally afterwards.
Which of the following statements about New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) under the Clean
Air Act is true? - Answers The NSPS are technology-based, reflecting the pollution control technologies
currently available.
Which of the following best defines the practice known as grandfathering, as seen with New Source
Performance Standards and similar regulations? - Answers Setting tougher standards for newly-built
facilities, and easier standards for already-existing facilities
Which of the following statements about emissions trading under the Clean Air Act is true? - Answers
Emissions trading allows targeted levels of emissions to be achieved at relatively low compliance costs.
Which of the following best describes bubbling as a form of emission trading? - Answers Required
emission reductions are applied to the total emissions from all sources at a particular site, rather
treating each source separately.
Which of the following is a potential problem associated with emission trading programs, relative to
traditional "command-and-control" regulations? - Answers Trading programs can lead to areas of
concentrated pollution known as "hot spots."
According to the textbook, which of the following statements about water pollution in the U.S. and the
Clean Water Act (CWA) is true? - Answers (a) The CWA has substantially decreased the pollution
discharged from factories and sewage treatment plants into the nation's waters.
(b) Since the CWA was enacted, the nation's waters have become cleaner.
(c) In recent studies, large numbers of the nation's waterways were still impaired by water pollution.
Which of the following statements about the regulation of point sources under the National Pollutant
Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) is true? - Answers Point sources must comply with emission limits
or technological requirements set forth in their NPDES permits.
Which of the following best describes the regulation of non-point sources (NPS) under the Clean Water
Act (CWA)? - Answers Regulation of NPS pollution is mostly left to state governments, which have
generally not implemented strong restrictions.
How are wetlands regulated under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act? - Answers No one can fill or
discharge material into a regulated wetland without a permit.
How is the term "navigable waters" defined in the Clean Water Act? - Answers Waters of the United
States, including the territorial seas
Which of the following best describes a legal principle established in the American Mining Congress
cases? - Answers By-products stored briefly on-site for re-use in a production process are not considered
waste subject to RCRA requirements.
, Which of the following best describes an example of the problem of media shifting, with respect to
Subtitle C of RCRA? - Answers Requirements for expensive treatment of hazardous wastes disposed of in
landfills has encouraged the incineration of wastes, with potentially worse consequences.
Which of the following can be liable as a potentially responsible party (PRP) under CERCLA? - Answers
(a) The owner of the site at the time it became contaminated
(b) The operator of the site at the time it became contaminated
(c) The current owner of the site
(d) People who disposed of hazardous material at the site
Which of the following best defines the strict liability of potentially responsible parties (PRPs) under
CERCLA? - Answers A PRP can be held responsible for cleanup costs regardless of whether the PRP's
actions were careless or caused any harm.
Which of the following best describes the brownfields issue related to CERCLA? - Answers Fearing
Superfund liability, developers often avoid former industrial sites and instead locate new construction in
pristine areas outside cities.
What do the textbook authors mean when they say that the Endangered Species Act (ESA) takes an
"emergency room" approach to protecting biodiversity? - Answers The ESA provides essentially no
protection to a species until it is on the verge of extinction.
Which of the following agencies is responsible for administering the Endangered Species Act? - Answers
-Fish and Wildlife Service
-National Marine Fisheries Service
Which of the following criteria are officials required to consider when deciding whether to list a species
for protection under the Endangered Species Act? - Answers Scientific data regarding whether the
species is in danger of extinction
Which of the following entities face restrictions under the Endangered Species Act? - Answers -federal
agencies
-private landowners
Which of the following is a criticism of the ESA's section 9 restrictions, as described by the textbook (ST)?
- Answers (a) The law may encourage private landowners to destroy endangered species habitat, either
legally before the species is listed or illegally afterwards.
