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Module 7: Regulatory Requirements - Title I - Practice Problems
- Instructions:
- Answer these questions on a sheet of paper and check your responses against those provided below.
- Answer:
- NAAQS is the acronym for National Ambient Air Quality Standards.
- SIP is the acronym for State Implementation Plan.
- OTAG is the acronym for Ozone Transport Assessment Group.
- NSR is the acronym for New Source Review.
- PSD is the acronym for Prevention of Significant Deterioration.
- OTC is the acronym for Ozone Transport Commission.
- BACT is the acronym for Best Achievable Control Technology.
- CEMS is the acronym for Continuous Emissions Monitoring System.
- LAER is the acronym for Lowest Achievable Emission Rate.
-
#2 - List the seven current criteria pollutants specified by the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (including ones under litigation as of 12/31/99).
-
- Answer:
- Sulfur dioxide
- Nitrogen oxides
- Carbon monoxide
- Ozone
- Lead
- PM2.5
- PM10
- The seven criteria pollutants are sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, ozone, lead, PM2.5, and PM10.
-
#3
- On what basis did EPA determine which substances should be classified as criteria pollutants?
-
- Answer: EPA determined the criteria pollutants based on comprehensive
studies of available ambient air monitoring data, health effects data,
and material effects studies. These studies are published in documents
called Air Quality Criteria Documents, from which the criteria
pollutants derive their name.
-
#4
- Compliance with the NOx SIP Call may result in compliance
with which other regulatory action(s)?
- Section 126 Petitions
- Revised Ozone NAAQS
- Regional Haze
- b and c, only
- a, b, and c
- Section 126 Petitions
-
- Answer: e. a, b, and c
- All of these regulatory issues are highly interrelated and dependent upon each other. The purpose of the NOx SIP Call is to reduce the amount of ground level ozone by controlling NOx emissions within 22 designated states. Compliance with the NOx SIP Call could result in more areas coming into compliance with the revised ozone NAAQS. Also, the eleven northeastern states that have filed the Section 126 Petitions may find that the amount of ozone transported from other states has subsided substantially as states comply with the NOx SIP Call. The reduction of ozone levels (a component of smog), may improve visibility and reduce regional haze.
-
#5
- How can a source qualify for the Cap and Trade program?
- Install the latest in control technology
- Reduce emissions prior to required deadline
- Utilize clean-burning fuel
- All of the above.
- Install the latest in control technology
-
- Answer: b. Reduce emissions prior to required deadline
- In order to qualify for the Cap and Trade program the source must
reduce emissions below the limits set by EPA or meet the emission limits
prior to the required deadline.
-
#6
- Identify the program that has authority in the following situations.
- A company would like to build a new plant, which emits PM10
and carbon monoxide, in an attainment area.
- A company would like to expand its plant, which emits sulfur
dioxide and nitrogen oxides, in a non-attainment area for these
two pollutants.
- An electric utility has achieved reductions in nitrogen oxides
emissions below the required levels at many of its facilities. It
would like to either bank them for future use or sell them to another
utility that is exceeding its emission limits.
- A company would like to build a new plant, which emits PM10
and carbon monoxide, in an attainment area.
-
- Answer: i. Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD is
part of NSR.)
- The New Source Review requires all major sources to obtain a permit.
Since this facility will be located in an attainment area, it must follow
the permitting application guidelines for the Prevention of Significant
Deterioration program. The purpose of PSD is to ensure that areas in
attainment for the various criteria pollutants continue to maintain
their attainment status.
- Answer: ii. New Source Review (NSR)
- This company must obtain a permit through the New Source Review program
because the facility will be located in a nonattainment area for the
pollutants it emits. Permitting in nonattainment areas is more time
consuming and complicated than PSD permitting requirements.
- Answer: iii. Cap and Trade program
- The Cap and Trade program allows facilities under specific circumstances
to sell their excess emission reductions to other facilities or to bank
them for future use.
-
#7
- With what program is BACT usually associated?
-
- Answer: BACT is usually associated with the Prevention of
Significant Deterioration program.
-
#8
- What is the primary difference between LAER and BACT?
-
- Answer: BACT allows the inclusion of cost considerations when defining the best available control technology. LAER does not allow cost to be taken into account when defining the applicable control technology. LAER is at least as stringent as BACT.