Areas of Practice 5: Water, Energy, and Environment

Question 1

Water Quality Act

Answer 1

1965, established the Water Pollution Control Administration within the Department of the Interior. This was the first time water quality was treated as an environmental concern rather than a public health concern.

Question 2

Clean Water Act

Answer 2

Passed in 1977, as an amendment to the Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1972. This Act requires anyone wanting to discharge pollutants into a body of water to obtain a permit to do so. It also regulates the amount of water that may be discharged and the types of pollutants that may be released.

Question 3

Federal Water Pollution Control Act

Answer 3

1972, amended the Water Pollutant Act of 1948. The amendments broadened the government’s authority over water pollution and restructured the authority for water pollution under the Environmental Protection Agency. The Act changed the enforcement from water quality standards to regulating the amount of pollutants being discharged from particular point sources.

Question 4

Surface Water

Answer 4

Includes rivers, lakes, oceans, ocean-like water bodies, and coastal tidal waters.

Question 5

Coastal Zone Management Act

Answer 5

1972, later amended in 1990, focused efforts to reduce polluted runoff in 29 coastal states.

Question 6

Environmental Justice

Answer 6

Executive Order 12898 was issued by President Clinton in 1994 and requires that federal agencies strive to make achieving environmental justice part of their mission by addressing the disproportionate adverse environmental and human health impacts of its policies, programs and activities on minority and low-income populations.

EPA has an Office of Environmental Justice that guides government agencies in meeting environmental justice goals. Environmental justice can be seen in local land use planning decisions, for example in the siting of a toxic waste facility or other locally undesirable land uses.

Question 7

Water Polutant Act

Answer 7

1948, allowed the Surgeon General of the Public Health Service, in cooperation with other governmental entities, to prepare a comprehensive program for eliminating or reducing the pollution of interstate waters and tributaries and improving the sanitary condition of surface and underground waters. The Act allowed the Federal Works Administrator to assist government agencies in constructing treatment plants that could help to prevent discharges of inadequately treated sewage and other wastes into interstate waters or tributaries.

Question 8

Reducing a thermostat one degree

Answer 8

Will result in money savings of between 1-3%, according to energystar.gov.

Question 9

Aquifer

Answer 9

One or more strata of rock or sediment that is saturated and sufficiently permeable to yield economically significant quantities of water to wells or springs. An aquifer includes any geologic material that is currently used or could be used as a source of water within the target distance limit.

Question 10

Clean Water Act

Answer 10

1966, provided construction grants for wastewater treatment facilities.

Question 11

Wind Power

Answer 11

Growing in popularity in many parts of the U.S. Wind turbines are tall (100 feet plus) in order to catch the wind more efficiently. Wind farms are made up of wind turbines built close together. They can be found in coastal, mountain, or other regions with a constant wind supply.

Distributed wind energy systems are small residential wind turbines with capacities of up to 100kW and are designed for on-site consumption. Utility scale turbines are designed to generate power which can be contributed to the energy grid. Offshore wind energy is a subset of utility scale turbines. The cost of developing offshore is higher due to complexity and material requirements to operate offshore.

Question 12

Passive Solar Design

Answer 12

Mitigates the building’s energy needs. The goal of passive design is to maximize the amount of direct sunlight available to each building - for example orienting streets and front lot lines along the east-west axis. In colder climates windows facing the southern direction can capture solar energy for day time heating.

Question 13

Watershed

Answer 13

A region drained by, or contributing water to, a surface water body.

Question 14

Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA)

Answer 14

Originally passed in 1947 and established procedures for registering pesticides with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and established labeling provisions.

FIFRA was rewritten in 1972 when it was amended by the Federal Environmental Pesticide Control Act (FEPCA). The law has been amended numerous times since 1972, including some significant amendments in the form of the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) of 1996. FIFRA currently mandates that EPA regulate the use and sale of pesticides to protect human health and the environment.

Question 15

Planning and Wind Energy

Answer 15

Includes regulations and land-use plans that can impact the ability to develop wind energy. For example, wind farms comply with land use districts, setback requirements and height limitations. Ordinances regulating wind energy should address setbacks, tower height, visual appearance, sound, and design review for turbine design.

Question 16

Superfund Site

Answer 16

Another term for brownfield. Superfund is the common name for the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). There are more than 1,200 superfund sites across the U.S. A tax on the petroleum and chemical industries provide funding to help pay for the cleanup of superfund sites. The federal government provides cleanup funds through the Superfund. Additionally, many states have created funds to help clean up property.

Question 17

Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act

Answer 17

1980, created a $1.6 billion Superfund to clean up abandoned hazardous waste sites and requires major industries to report annual releases of toxic wastes into the air, water, or ground.

Question 18

Solar Energy

Answer 18

Can be used to heat homes through solar panels. Solar power uses photovoltaic panels to convert sunlight directly into electricity. The panels can be added together to create large systems.

Question 19

Wetlands

Answer 19

Include swamps, marshes, bogs, and other similar areas. They are areas that are inundated or saturated by surface or groundwater at a frequency and duration sufficient to support vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated soil conditions. Wetlands can be natural or constructed.

Question 20

Planning and Solar Energy

Answer 20

Zoning controls the location of solar resources, for example through setbacks, height and lot coverage restrictions. For example, most communities would not allow solar panels as an accessory structure in the front yard. Development regulations should be structured to allow solar by right where appropriate and to have the appropriate development controls where needed. For example there could be competing interests between tree preservation and solar energy production.

Question 21

Marsh

Answer 21

A type of freshwater, brackish water or saltwater wetland found along rivers, ponds, lakes, and coasts. It does not accumulate appreciable peat deposits and is dominated by herbaceous vegetation.

Question 22

Energy Efficiency

Answer 22

In order to make a building more energy efficient, builders use insulation. Insulation allows for more efficient heating of a building. Insulation is rated in terms of thermal resistance, called R-value. This indicates the resistance to heat flow. The higher the R-value, the greater the insulation. A minimum R-value of 20 is recommended for residential use.

Question 23

Point Source Discharge Permit

Answer 23

In order to discharge pollutants into the water, a Point Source Discharge Permit must be obtained from the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES).

Question 24

Rivers and Harbors Act

Answer 24

1899, prohibited the construction of any bridge, dam, dike, or causeway over any navigable waterway in the U.S. without Congressional approval. The Act also required Congressional approval for all wharfs, piers, or jetties, and the excavation or fill of navigable waters.

Question 25

Public Utility Regulatory Policy Act (PURPA)

Answer 25

1978, promoted alternative energy sources, energy efficiency, and reduced dependence on foreign oil. It also created a market for non-utility power producers and requires competition in the utility industry.

Question 26

Reservoir

Answer 26

A pond, lake, tank, or basin that can be used for the storage and control of water, and can be either natural or man-made.

Question 27

Swamp

Answer 27

A freshwater wetland that has spongy, muddy land and a lot of water.

Question 28

Methane

Answer 28

Naturally occurring byproduct of decaying plant and animal material. Methane gas is burned to produce electricity.

Question 29

Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Systems

Answer 29

Use photovoltaic cell technology to capture radiant energy from the sun creating electricity. These photovoltaic cells are placed on panels that are then placed on rooftops or mounted on the ground. These cells can operate at the residential to the utility scale.

Question 30

Effluent Standards

Answer 30

Set restrictions on the discharge of pollutants into the environment. Effluent guidelines reduce the discharge of pollutants that have serious environmental impacts. The EPA has effluent guidelines for more than 50 categories.

Question 31

When was the first Earth Day?

Answer 31

April 22, 1970.

Question 32

Brownfields

Answer 32

Real property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. Cleaning up and reinvesting in these properties takes development pressures off of undeveloped, open land, and both improves and protects the environment

Question 33

Resource Conservation and Recovery Act

Answer 33

1976, provided EPA with the ability to control hazardous waste from “cradle-to-grave.” This includes the generation, transportation, treatment, storage, and disposal of hazardous waste, as well as the management of non-hazardous solid wastes. The 1986 amendment covered environmental issues associated with underground storage tanks for fuel and other hazardous substances.

Question 34

Who is Rachel Carson?

Answer 34

Rachel Carson was the author of Silent Spring, which was published in 1962. In the book, Carson examined the dangers of chemical pesticides, such as DDT, on plants, animals, and humans. This book greatly influenced the way people think about the environment.

Question 35

Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD)

Answer 35

Relates to air quality and requires that a project will not increase emissions above a specified PSD increment.

Question 36

Toxic Substances Control Act

Answer 36

1976, provided EPA with responsibility for reporting, record-keeping and testing requirements, and restrictions relating to chemical substances and/or mixtures. Certain substances are generally excluded, including food, drugs, cosmetics and pesticides.

Question 37

What is the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California?

Answer 37

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California was created in 1927 in order to create the Colorado River Aqueduct. It was built between 1933 and 1941 and is owned and operated by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. It ran a water pipeline to Los Angeles.

Question 38

Hydroelectric Power

Answer 38

Typically associated with large dams. It uses falling water to produce power, which is moved through a turbine, causing it to spin. The spinning turbine is coupled with a generator, which produces energy.

Question 39

Non-point Source Pollution

Answer 39

Contaminated runoff from many sources.

Question 40

Lagoon

Answer 40

A shallow body of water that is located alongside a coast.

Question 41

Estuary

Answer 41

An area where freshwater meets saltwater.

Question 42

Clean Air Act

Answer 42

Passed in 1970 with major amendments in 1977 and 1990. The federal government sets ambient standards and the states must devise methods that enables these standards to be met. Air cannot be contained in one location, so Air Quality Control Regions (AQCR) were created to measure air quality in air sheds. Like the Clean Water Act, the law requires a permit to release pollutants into the air. The Act monitors six pollutants:

Ozone
Particulate Matter
Carbon Monoxide
Nitrogen Dioxide
Sulfur Dioxide
Lead

Question 43

Point Source Pollution

Answer 43

Discharged directly from a specific site, such as a sewage treatment plant or an industrial pipe.

Question 44

National Environmental Policy Act

Answer 44

Passed in 1969, resulted in the creation of the Council on Environmental Quality. The Act requires that the environmental impacts of a project be considered. An Environmental Assessment is required to determine whether there is a significant environmental impact. One of the major requirements of the act was to require the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). An EIS is required for federal projects significantly affecting the quality of the human environment. If the environmental assessment determines that there is a significant impact then an Environmental Impact Statement is required.

Question 45

Endangered Species Act

Answer 45

1973, provided protection of animal and plant species that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service designate as threatened or endangered. This act was later amended in 1988.

Question 46

Ambient Air Quality Standards

Answer 46

The maximum air contaminant concentrations allowed in the ambient air.

Question 47

Biomass Energy

Answer 47

Uses organic material which is burned to create energy.

Question 48

Safe Drinking Water Act

Answer 48

Ensures that drinking water is safe. This law was passed in 1974 and has been amended several times since. This law not only protects the end product, but also protects the sources of drinking water.

Question 49

Oligotraphic lake

Answer 49

A deep lake with a low supply of nutrients and low supply of organic matter.

Question 50

Section 404 of the Clean Water Act

Answer 50

Section 404 of the Clean Water Act requires a permit be obtained from the Army Corp for the discharge of material. The 404 permit process protects wetlands - which are essential to control of nonpoint pollution because this slows the rate of surface water runoff and removes sediment and pollutants before reaching lakes and streams.

Question 51

NRCS Soil Survey

Answer 51

The Natural Resources Conservation Service Soil Survey maps identify soil types.

Question 52

Secondary Treatment

Answer 52

Secondary treatment allows bacteria to consume organic waste. The first treatment is removing suspended solids and tertiary treatment removes the impurities from the sewage.

Secondary treatment is a treatment process for wastewater through the physical separation of settleable solids and a biological process to remove dissolved and suspended organic compounds.

Question 53

Gaining Stream

Answer 53

A gaining stream gains water through the contributions of groundwater.

Question 54

Losing Stream

Answer 54

A losing stream has water that seeps into the ground.

Question 55

About ____ percent of the electricity used in the country goes towards heating, cooling, and lighting buildings.

Answer 55

75

Question 56

Auger Test

Answer 56

An auger test can be used to retrieve soil samples and then examined for the soil profiles. Can be used to provide evidence that soil is suitable for septic tanks.

Question 57

Greyfield

Answer 57

A Greyfield can be defined as “ a site that has been previously developed with at least 50% of its surface area covered by impervious material.” Redevelopment of a Greyfield can provide an efficient use of land and infrastructure. Greyfield redevelopment also allows for the preservation of open space and wildlife habitat.

Question 58

capillary fringe

Answer 58

The capillary fringe is the subsurface layer in which groundwater seeps up from a water table by capillary action to fill pores. Pores at the base of the capillary fringe are filled with water due to tension saturation.

Question 59

private sewage treatment facilities

Answer 59

PSTFs are regulated and in some states prohibited for use in residential subdivisions because of operation and maintenance issues. PSTFs have been proven technologically and are typically more environmentally sound than individual septic systems, provided they are well maintained and continually inspected.

Question 60

limnology

Answer 60

The study of lakes and ponds is referred to as limnology. The science encompasses the geological, physical, chemical and biological events that occur within lakes and ponds.

Question 61

Hydrogeologic mapping

Answer 61

useful delineation technique in glacial and alluvial aquifers, particularly in bedrock valleys. This method often uses dye tracing for delineations in fractured rock and karst aquifers.