Assignment

Part 1: True or False

1. An environmental impact statement must be filed whenever a business wants to undertake a project that will affect the environment.

2. The "Tragedy of the Commons" is frequently cited to justify the use of the tort law to prevent pollution.

3. Under TSCA, top priority is given to the testing of chemicals on the market when the Act was passed; since the Act's passage, over 48,000 chemicals have been listed on the EPA's inventory of toxic substances, and data on toxic effects has been collected for about 90% of these chemicals.

4. Because nuclear power is a clean, nonpolluting source of energy, most environmentalists have given broad support for nuclear energy.

5. Originally, the Acid Rain program focused on NOx levels, and not SO2 levels.

6. Primary Ambient Air Quality Standards protect human health and Secondary Ambient Air Quality Standards protect the environment; the former are more stringent than the latter.

7. The primary focus of the underground storage tank program is on spill prevention.

8. Rivers given a designation under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 are removed from human use.

9. A major problem with international environmental law is its lack of an adequate enforcement mechanism.

10. All proposed and final rules being promulgated by a regulatory agency must be published in the Federal Register.

11. Under the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System, the amount of emissions allowed by a permit are determined by the type of pollutant, the type of discharger, and whether the source is existing or new.

12. The ranking system used to place sites on the National Priorities List is based on relative risk to human health and the environment, rather than actual risk.

13. The primary goal of NEPA was to reform agency decision-making so that environmental concerns would be taken into account.

14. From environmentalists' perspective, one of the most important Constitutional rights is the right to a clean environment.

15. The court has traditionally interpreted the commerce clause broadly, so that most environmental regulations are considered a valid exercise of commerce clause authority.

16. In general, a state may pass an environmental regulation that sets standards more stringent than those set by federal regulations.

17. The EPA was created in 1960, and is the largest federal agency operating today.

18. Pollution from nonpoint sources is easier to control than pollution from point sources because it's difficult to convince polluters to purchase and install expensive pollution control devices.

19. One of the TSCA's functions is to regulate the introduction of new chemicals into the market.

20. The range of chemicals regulated under CERCLA is the same as that regulated under RCRA.

21. Because nuclear energy does not produce carbon emissions, it is considered a renewable source of energy

22. Bills that are passed by the United States Congress and then signed by the United States President become statutes, which can be found in the U. S. Code; the National Environmental Policy Act is an example of such a federal statute.

23. Subject matter jurisdiction determines whether a case is heard in state or federal court.

24. Primary Ambient Air Quality Standards protect human health and Secondary Ambient Air Quality Standards protect the environment; the former are more stringent than the latter.

25. International environmental law is made up of both customary and conventional law; the former is analogous to common law and the latter is formed by treaties.

Part 2: Multiple Choice

1. The RCRA regulates

a. hazardous waste
b. non-hazardous waste
c. municipal waste
d. all of the above

2. The Safe Drinking Water Act establishes drinking water standards that are applicable to

a. bottled water.
b. municipal water supply systems.
c. private wells.
d. all of the above.

3. The United States can affect other countries' environmental policies by

a. sharing our research.
b. linking financial aid to environmentally sound projects.
c. entering into treaties with other countries to preserve specific aspects of the environment.
d. all of the above.

4. Which of the following is not considered one of the threshold issues that must be met before one can bring a lawsuit?

a. standing.
b. ripeness.
c. case or controversy.
d. none of the above (all must be present).

5. Who of the following was an administrator of the EPA during the second Bush administration?

a. Christine Whitmire.
b. Stephen Johnson.
c. Both a and B.
d. none of the above.

6. FIFRA

a. prohibits the introduction of new chemicals into the market.
b. requires that all pesticides sold in the U. S. be registered for either general or restricted use.
c. requires that all pesticides manufactured in the U. S. be registered for general or restricted use.
d. both b and c.

7. Which of the following are benefits of wetlands?

a. Wetlands provide food and habitat for many species.
b. Wetlands help control shoreline erosion.
c. Wetlands help improve the quality of drinking water.
d. All of the above.

8. All rules made by administrative agencies must be

a. published as proposed rules in the Federal Register.
b. published as final rules in the Federal Register at least 30 days before they are to go into effect.
c. both a and b.
d. neither a nor b.

9. Which of the following is not contained in the EIS?

a. a statement of any adverse negative environment impacts that cannot be avoided if the proposal is carried out.
b. alternatives to the proposal, including taking no action.
c. both a and b.
d. none of the above.

10. Which of the following is not a conventional air pollutant?

a. ozone.
b. sulfurdioxide.
c. both a and b (neither is a conventional pollutant).
d. none of the above (both are conventional pollutants).

11. Acid rain

a. would not exist in the absence of man-made emissions of sulfur.
b. occurs only in industrialized areas.
c. is a difficult problem to solve because there is a lack of agreement as to the severity of the problem, the best way to solve the problem, and what ph level warrants the designation acid rain.
d. none of the above.

12. A case challenging a statute as violating a person's rights under the U. S. Constitution.

a. must be heard in a state court.
b. must be heard in a federal court.
c. may be heard in either state or federal court.
d. must be heard in the U. S. Court of Claims.

13. Potential sources of contamination of groundwater do not include:

a. home septic tank systems.
b. hazardous waste land disposal facilities.
c. underground storage tanks.
d. none of the above.

14 The source of authority for most federal environmental laws is

a. the Commerce Clause.
b. the Contract Clause.
c. the Fifth Amendment.
d. Article III.

15. Substances regulated under the Montreal Protocol do not include

a. CFCs.
b. methyl bromide.
c. halons.
d. none of the above.

16. Which of the following is not a characteristic of toxic substance regulated under TSCA?

a. Tendency to bioaccumulate.
b. Extremely low dosages may have harmful effects.
c. Harmful effects may not show up for a long time.
d. None of the above.

17. One does not look in the Federal Register to find

a. proposed rules.
b. final rules.
c. statutes.
d. any of the above.

18. A waste will be considered hazardous under the RCRA if

a. it is included on one of the EPA's three lists of hazardous wastes.
b. it has the characteristics of toxicity, ignitability, corrosivity, or reactivity.
c. both a and b.
d. none of the above.

19. Which of the following is not required by the federal underground storage tank regulations?

a. All tanks must have spill and overflow protection.
b. Tanks that store hazardous substances must have extra protection against hazardous substance release such as a double-walled tank or external liner.
c. Failure to meet the new standards by 2000 may result in fines of up to $10,000 per tank.
d. None of the above.

20. Which of the following is not considered a source of renewable energy?

a. wind energy.
b. biomass energy.
c. solar energy.
d. none of the above.

21. Which of the following was not designed to protect wetlands, coastal areas, or estuaries?

a. The Wild and Scenic Rivers Act.
b. The Coastal Zone Management Act.
c. The "No-Net-Loss" Policy.
d. Section 404 of the Clean Water Act.

22. Which is not a factor that may cause a species to become endangered?

a. destruction of its habitat.
b. disease.
c. overutilization for commercial purposes.
d. none of the above.

23. Which President is considered to be the first who worked toward a comprehensive national energy policy?

a. Woodrow Wilson.
b. Franklin D. Roosevelt.
c. Richard Nixon.
d. Gerald Ford.

24. Which of the following duties is not imposed on nations regarding transboundary pollution?

a. to inform other nations of accidents that might cause transboundary harm.
b. to enter into a convention to determine how to handle the situation.
c. both a and b (neither duty is imposed).
d. none of the above (both duties are imposed).

25. Which of the following was not one of the early acts designed to protect the water quality?

a. the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899.
b. the Public Health Service Act of 1912.
c. the Oil Pollution Act of 1924.
d. none of the above.