key terms

Question 1

a method of controlling environmental contamination by sealing off a dangerous substance such as asbestos

Answer 1

encapsulation

Question 2

used as a pigment and drying agent in alkyd oil-based paint in about 75% of housing built before 1978.

Answer 2

lead

Question 3

an elevated level of ___ in the body can cause serious damage to the brain, kidneys, nervous system, and red blood cells.

Answer 3

lead

Question 4

Children under the age of ___ are most vulnerable to lead poisoning

Answer 4

6

Question 5

A colorless chemical with a strong, pronounced odor. It was used widely in the manufacture of building materials and household products because of its preservative characteristics.

Answer 5

Formaldehyde

Question 6

Often emitted as a gas, ___ is one of the most common and problematic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and is one of the few indoor pollutants that can be measured

Answer 6

Formaldehyde

Question 7

a colorless, odorless gas that occurs due to incomplete combustion as a by-product of burning such fuels as wood, oil, and natural gas

Answer 7

carbon monoxide (CO)

Question 8

fungi that grows in the form of multicellular filaments called hyphae. some can cause disease, and others play a role in biodegradation or production of antibiotics and enzymes

Answer 8

mold

Question 9

water that exists under the earth’s surface within the tiny spaces or crevices in geological formations

Answer 9

Groundwater

Question 10

___ forms the water table

Answer 10

groundwater

Question 11

the natural level at which the ground is saturated

Answer 11

water table

Question 12

Underground storage tanks are commonly found on sites where ___ are used or where ___ and ___ are located

Answer 12

Petroleum products are used
Gas stations and auto repair shops are located

Question 13

___ are commonly found on sites where petroleum products are used or where gas stations and auto repair shops are located

Answer 13

Underground storage tanks (UST)

Question 14

UST

Answer 14

Underground storage tanks

Question 15

In residential areas, ___ are used to store heating oil.

Answer 15

Underground storage tanks (UST)

Question 16

Over time, neglected Underground storage tanks may…

Answer 16

leak hazardous substances into the environment

Question 17

___ may be located in commercial and industrial establishments for storing chemicals or process wastes.

Answer 17

Underground storage tanks (UST)

Question 18

an enormous hole, either excavated for the purpose of waste disposal or left over from surface mining operations

Answer 18

Landfill

Question 19

the process of laying 2 to 4 feet of soil over the top of the site and then planting grass on it to enhance the landfill’s aesthetic value and prevent erosion

Answer 19

capping

Question 20

defunct, derelict, or abandoned commercial or industrial sites. many have toxic wastes

Answer 20

brownfield

Question 21

according to the US general accounting office, several hundred thousand ___ plague communities as eyesores and potentially dangerous and hazardous properties, and often contribute to the decline of surrounding urban property values

Answer 21

Brownfields

Question 22

commonly called the superfund

Answer 22

comprehensive environmental response, compensation, and liability act (CERCLA)

Question 23

federal law administered by the EPA that establishes a process for identifying parties responsible for creating hazardous waste sites, forcing liable parties to clean up toxic wastes, bringing legal action against responsible parties, and funding the abatement of toxic sites.

Answer 23

comprehensive environmental response, compensation, and liability act (CERCLA)

Question 24

PRPs

Answer 24

Potentially responsible parties

Question 25

Created a process for identifying potentially responsible parties and ordering them to take responsibility for the cleanup action

Answer 25

comprehensive environmental response, compensation, and liability act (CERCLA)

Question 26

comprehensive environmental response, compensation, and liability act (CERCLA) is administered and enforced by the ___

Answer 26

EPA

Question 27

In 1986, the US congress amended CERCLA with the ___. This amendment contains stronger cleanup standards for contaminated sites, increased funding for superfund, and clarifications of lender liability and innocent landowner immunity.

Answer 27

Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA)

Question 28

The Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA) created a concept called ___, which is a clause that establishes the criteria by which to judge whether a person or business could be exempted from environmental liability

Answer 28

Innocent Landowner Immunity

Question 29

___ recognized that in certain cases, a landowner in the chain of ownership was completely innocent of all wrongdoing and therefore should not be held liable

Answer 29

innocent landowner immunity

Question 30

Scientific or technical experts who can provide the most comprehensive studies for environmental information

Answer 30

Environmental assessors (aka environmental auditors)

Question 31

a test of soil to determine if it will absorb and drain water adequately to use a septic system for sewage disposal

Answer 31

percolation test