Calling All RCRA Wunderkinds: Test Your Regulatory IQ With This Fun Quiz

The 12 Question RCRA Quiz

The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, or RCRA (pronounced “reck-rah”), is a labyrinthine piece of legislation. If you work in the environmental sector or with hazardous waste (even in any cursory fashion), you are sure to have at least heard of it. To this day—after many amendments and updates—it has stood the test of time.

As you know, it was passed to help mitigate the potential dangers of hazardous wastes on human health, communities, and the environment. You know that RCRA is overseen by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and also that it governs how hazardous waste is to be treated, stored, handled, and disposed of.

But how deep is your well of knowledge about this set of federal laws? Take a few moments and find out right now with this fun twelve-question quiz. Grab a pen and pad to take down your answers. Test yourself, and then share it with your friends and co-workers—if nothing else, you might just learn something new. So let’s get started.

1)   In what year was the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) enacted into law by Congress?

A.  1978

B.  1993

C.  1976

D.  1982

2)   Which of these waste characteristics is not considered hazardous by RCRA?

A.  Ignitable

B.  Corrosive

C.  Reactive

D.  Acerbic

3)   Which of the following items is upcoming for first-ever regulation by the EPA under RCRA on December 19^th 2014?

A.  Coal ash

B.  Old batteries

C.  Aerosol can waste

D.  Inkjet containers

4)   Are the Cathode Ray Tubes (CRTs) inside television sets and computer monitors considered hazardous waste? 

A.  Yes

B.  No

C.  Yes, but only when there is an accumulation of 10 lbs. (4.5 kgs.) of CRT material.

D.  Yes, but only when the CRTs are sent off to be handled by certified hazardous waste generators or treatment, storage, and disposal facilities (TSDFs).

5)   What classification of generator must submit the National Biennial Report on all its hazardous waste activities spanning the previous two years?

A.  Conditionally Exempt Small Quantity Generators

B.  Very Small Quantity Generators

C.  Small Quantity Generators

D.  Large Quantity Generators

6)   What is the maximum duration of a RCRA permit for a treatment, disposal, and storage facility (TSDF)?

A.  5 years

B.  10 years

C.  12 years

D.  15 years

7)   What type of waste does Subtitle D of RCRA specifically regulate?

A.  Solid hazardous waste

B.  Chemical hazardous waste

C.  Non-hazardous solid waste

D.  Radioactive waste

8)   What was the major drive behind creating the Land Disposal Restrictions (LDR) program in 1984?

A.  Political and financial motives; landfill lobbyists pushed for the amendment to pass.

B.  It was created predominantly to prevent the leaching of hazardous contaminants into surface water and groundwater supplies.

C.  Because of a lack of land available overall for land disposal, proper regulation was needed for the location and spacing of current land disposal units.

D.  It originated in the public’s uproar over the illegal dumping of hazardous chemicals in Nevada in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

9)   What is an EPA manifest?

A.  A list of all the hazardous waste on-site at a company or facility currently; a snapshot of a company’s waste stockpile at any moment in time.

B.  A copy of all the receipts that a hazardous waste generator receives from a treatment, storage, and disposal facility (TSDF).

C.  A full list of all the employees at a company who have worked with hazardous waste over a two-year period, necessary for the National Biennial Report.

D.  A set of forms, reports, and procedures designed to track the lifecycle of hazardous waste from its generation to its eventual disposal.

10)   Which of the following  is not a RCRA penalty that could result in criminal action?

A.  Knowingly treating, storing, or disposing of waste without a permit or interim status, or in violation of a permit.

B.  Knowingly transporting waste to a non-permitted facility.

C.  Knowingly transporting waste to a TSDF without the means to pay the facility.

D.  Knowingly exporting waste without the receiving country’s consent.

11)   Which of the following methods, according to the EPA, is used approximately 90% of the time for the disposal and/or destruction of infectious chemical or medical waste?

A.  Microwaving the waste.

B.  Sending the waste off to an autoclaving company that is licensed to do this type of disposal.

C.  Placing the waste in a medical “red bag”, sealing it air-tight, and then throwing it away in any hospital dumpster.

D.  Incineration by a treatment, storage, and disposal facility (TSDF).

12 )   According to the EPA, which of the following, after usage and contamination, would not constitute a definition of “used oil”?

A.  Antifreeze

B.  Transmission fluid

C.  Metalworking fluids

D.  Copper and aluminum wire drawing solution

You’ve made it to the finish line. Now that you’ve taken the quiz, it’s time to check your answers and see how well you fared! Refer to the key below for the answers. Hopefully you’ll be able to show all your colleagues your perfect score—while they still don’t know their TSDFs from their SQGs.

And if you’d like, follow us on our Hazardous Waste Experts Facebook page (if you haven’t already) and post your score there.

Key:

1. C
2. D
3. A
4. A
5. D
6. B
7. C
8. B
9. D
10. C
11. D
12. A

If you scored low, don’t worry, we’re here to help. We can assist you with quick, complaint hazardous waste disposal or information on its regulation. Give us a call at 800-936-2311 to speak with an expert today or click here to email us.

Photo credit: Alberto G. via compfight