Unit 4: environmental regulation of land use (exam questions)

What’s the Environmental Protection Agency’s goal for Superfund sites?

A. Close environmentally hazardous sites to public.

B. Offer incentive programs for eco-friendly machinery.

C. Offer incentives when both eco-friendly and recycling programs are used.

D. Take environmentally contaminated sites and make them safe properties again.

D. Take environmentally contaminated sites and make them safe properties again.

Which of these statements about the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA) is true?

A. Buyers who are evaluating a commercial or industrial real estate purchase must have an environmental impact statement performed to ensure that no contamination exists on the property.

B. Landowners who perform due diligence when purchasing a property, including a Phase I site assessment, may be immune from liability if the property is found to be contaminated.

C. Landowners who purchased a property after any contamination occurred can't be held responsible for the contamination.

D. No matter what the circumstances are, SARA places liability on the current landowner for the cleanup of any contamination.

B. Landowners who perform due diligence when purchasing a property, including a Phase I site assessment, may be immune from liability if the property is found to be contaminated.

Which written statement will be used to consider ways to minimize a project's negative impact on the environment?

A. CERCLA

B. Environmental impact statement

C. Environmental site assessment

D. SEQRA

B. Environmental impact statement

Which of these do most proposed construction projects near a floodway require?

A. A development company certified by FEMA

B. A floodplain management plan

C. A special floodplain permit

D. A wall built along the floodplain

C. A special floodplain permit

Tryon Corp. and Sandoval, Inc. were joint owners of the former Sandy Glass manufacturing facility. An environmental assessment found that the two companies share joint and several liability for a hazardous materials cleanup. What could happen if the two of them don't agree to cooperate in the cleanup?

A. The cleanup project will be put on hold for one to five years.

B. The EPA will do the cleanup itself and can legally bill whichever company has the most assets.

C. The EPA will perform the cleanup and will bill CERCLA's trust fund for all of the cleanup costs.

D. The EPA will perform the cleanup itself and bill Tryon and Sandoval for the cost.

D. The EPA will perform the cleanup itself and bill Tryon and Sandoval for the cost.

Your clients are considering purchasing a home built in 1998. They're excited that it comes with a warranty plan because the furnace, central air system, and all of the appliances are original. Since the EPA has banned the use of Freon® in cooling systems, you need to advise your clients on this situation. What advice should you give them?

A. Advise them not to buy the home

B. Advise them not to invest in the warranty plan because they are rip-offs

C. Advise them the EPA banned the use of Freon® in cooling systems in 2010, and that home warranty companies may not cover repair of the older systems.

D. Advise them to ask the seller to purchase new systems and appliances

C. Advise them the EPA banned the use of Freon® in cooling systems in 2010, and that home warranty companies may not cover repair of the older systems.

The Clean Water Act regulates pollutants in U.S. waters and establishes quality standards for ______.

A. Bottled water

B. Piers and docks

C. Surface waters

D. Wharves and piers

C. Surface waters

Enrico, a homebuilder, was caught dumping a load of rubble in an area designated as wetlands. “But I wasn’t building anything,” he explained. “I wasn’t involved in any development when I dumped the rubble there.” Was his dumping a legal act?

A. No, because dumping material in a wetland is one of the activities that isn’t allowed without a permit.

B. No. Because Enrico is a homebuilder by trade, he needs a permit for every activity he undertakes in New Jersey.

C. Yes, it’s legal as long as he hasn’t disturbed the flow of water within that particular wetland area.

D. Yes. Since dumping isn’t considered a part of development, Enrico is fine.

A. No, because dumping material in a wetland is one of the activities that isn’t allowed without a permit.

Citytown officials know that they have an abandoned factory site that has been identified for cleanup under CERCLA. When city officials tried to trace the ownership of the property, they found several shell corporations but can’t determine which individual or corporate entity actually owns the property. What is a likely outcome of this situation?

A. Citytown will apply to the CERCLA trust fund for cleanup costs.

B. Citytown will bill the EPA for cleanup costs.

C. Citytown will end up paying for cleanup.

D. The factory site won’t be cleaned up and will sit empty.

A. Citytown will apply to the CERCLA trust fund for cleanup costs.

When sites with hazardous substances are identified, which one of the following provides the mandate that the responsible party cleans them up?

A. CERCLA

B. EPA

C. HUD

D. SARA

A. CERCLA

Government agencies usually become involved during which phase of an environmental assessment?

A. Phase III: Clean-up

B. Phase I: Investigation

C. Phase II: Testing

D. Phase IV: Management

A. Phase III: Clean-up

What does Section 404 of the Clean Water Act specifically protect?

A. Endangered species

B. Natural forests

C. Wetlands

D. Wildlife

C. Wetlands

Which amendment to CERCLA says that “innocent landowners” aren’t responsible for the cleanup of hazardous contamination?

A. Environmental Responsibility Amendment

B. Hazardous Contamination Amendment

C. Superfunds Amendments and Reauthorization Act

D. The Fair Housing Act

C. Superfunds Amendments and Reauthorization Act

SARA is an amendment to which environmental act?

A. CERCLA

B. Clean Air Act

C. Clean Water Act

D. Environmental Responsibility Act

A. CERCLA

Which phase of the environmental site assessment involves a review of the property's history and examination of its physical features?

A. Phase III: Clean-up

B. Phase I: Investigation

C. Phase II: Testing

D. Phase IV: Management

B. Phase I: Investigation

What did the Clean Air Act authorize the EPA to do?

A. Establish air quality standards for the protection of human health and the environment.

B. Establish U.S. air space so that no other country's pollution can impact our environment.

C. Reduce the number of flights allowed per day out of each airport.

D. Require everyone to stop smoking and to have annual emissions tests on their cars.

A. Establish air quality standards for the protection of human health and the environment.

Bob and Sandy are eyeing properties adjacent to the river to build a small retirement home with water views. The survey for one property shows one area where residential construction is prohibited? What might this area be?

A. Coastal zone

B. Flood plain

C. Floodway

D. Riverway

C. Floodway

Which federal regulation specifically protects our nation's rivers and harbors?

A. Clean Water Act

B. Coastal Zone Management Act

C. Rivers and Harbors Act

D. Waterfront Property Act

C. Rivers and Harbors Act

What's an environmental impact statement?

A. A written statement reporting a property’s known material defects

B. A written statement that identifies sites that have hazardous substances, and requires the responsible parties to clean them up

C. A written statement that requires all levels of government to perform an environmental assessment

D. A written statement used to consider ways to minimize a project’s negative impact on the environment

D. A written statement used to consider ways to minimize a project’s negative impact on the environment

Why do the federal Coastal Zone Management Act and other coastal programs support each other?

A. Achieve a balance between the development, use, and preservation of coastal areas

B. Prohibit all development and potentially harmful use of coastal areas

C. Provide education and outreach related to preserving coastal regions

D. Require communities to implement and enforce preservation efforts

A. Achieve a balance between the development, use, and preservation of coastal areas

The Clean Water Act and the Clean Air Act are both what type of regulations?

A. Federal

B. Local

C. Out-dated and unenforceable

D. State

A. Federal

The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) created a ______ to clean up hazardous waste sites and respond to spills that may endanger public health or the environment.

A. Campaign

B. Committee

C. Superfund

D. Task force

C. Superfund

Which of the following options is true about development in a floodway?

A. It’s encouraged.

B. It should be avoided.

C. It’s not regulated.

D. Permits aren't required.

B. It should be avoided.

The four phases of an environmental assessment include investigation, testing, management, and ______.

A. Assessment

B. Cleanup

C. Diligence

D. Monitoring

B. Cleanup