Module 1 - 6 Flashcards
What is the term used where “the Director (of AESRD) is of the opinion that a substance may cause, is causing or has caused a significant adverse effect, is present in an area of the environment.”
A contaminated site
Which of the following is NOT likely to be a significant source of site contamination? A) Thermal facilities B) Auto Repair facilities C) Dry Cleaning D) Snow Storage E) all the above
E) All the above old cause site contamination
Where would you NOT expect to find salt contamination? A) oil exploration wells B) oil production wells C) a gas station D) all the above
C) a gas station
Which of the following is not considered a major site contaminant from agriculture? A) petroleum fuel B) pesticide C) tetrahloroethylene D) all are site contaminants
C) tetrahloroethylene
Oil and gas production sites are likely to be the source of which of the following hazardous materials? A) brine B) glycol C) NORMs D) all the above
D) all the above
The term of non-saline soils where sufficient exchangeable sodium exists to adversely impact the soil structure and plant growth is…
Sodic
Soil’s main components are organic material, mineral particles,____________&___________.
Gases and water
The smallest particles in the soil texture are A) clay B) sand C) silt D) loam
A) clay
Clay particles are \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_, meaning they have large surface area per unit of mass. A) cohesive B) colloidal C) adherent D) none of the above
B) Colloidal
Organic material in soils…
A) makes up about 50-60% of a well-drained soils total mass
B) binds mineral particles together into granules
C) increases as depth increases
D) all of the above
B) binds mineral particles together into granules
Soil water…
A) contains hundreds of dissolved substances
B) negatively impacts gas content
C) is held in pore spaces by attractions to soil particles
D) all of the above
D) all of the above
Soil gases…
A) have the same makeup as atmospheric gases
B) may contain contaminant vapours
C) are relatively homogeneous throughout the soil
D) all the above
B) may contain contaminant vapours
An example of a light non-aqueous phase liquid is... A) gasoline B) tetrahloroethylene C) chlorinated solvents D) all of the above
A) gasoline
The selection of remediation methods will depend upon…
A) properties of the contaminants
B) organic carbon content in the subsurface
C) permeability of the subsurface
D) water content and content of the subsurface
E) all the above
E) all the above
What are the 4 parts to a phase 1
Records Review, Site Visit, Interviews, and Evaluation and Recording (Documentation)
What could be sources of Salt Contamination? and why?
Oil and Gas wells (salt water produced with gas/accidental spillage), Roadways (roadsides/equipment storage/snow storage), Naturally occurring Saline soils (through excavation/construction)
What is the difference between Saline, Saline-sodic, and Sodic soils?
EC >4/SAR 4/SAR >13, EC 13
What is the sodium absorption ratio calculation?
SAR= [Na+] / sqrt(( [Mg2+]+[Ca2+] ) / 2)
What does the term Saline-sodic soil mean?
A high concentration of Na+ and a high concentration of other ion types, clay particles in soil cannot disperse, can impact plant growth due to salt content
Field observations that indicate salty soils are…?
Crusty white surface, dead/stressed vegetation, erosion, sticky soils, lack of seedlings and young plants
Electrical conductivity is measured in…?
dS/m, deci-siemens per meter
Who was Rachel Carson?
the author of Silent Spring, an important book which led to greater interest in contamination
In Alberta, there are _____________ active and inactive gas wells where site contamination could exist
Hundreds of thousands
A cancer causing substance is known as…
carcinogenic or a carcinogen
substances that cause mutations are known as…
mutagenetic or mutagens
Lead is known to cause:
a. Brain damage.
b. Eye damage.
c. Skin damage.
d. None of the above.
a. Brain Damage
The maximum penalty under the Alberta Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act is:
a. $100,000.
b. $1,000,000.
c. 100,000,000.
d. None of the above
b. $1,000,000
Which of the following is NOT a potential liability due to site contamination?
a. Fines
b. Clean-up costs
c. Damages for human health impacts
d. All of the above are potential liabilities
d. all the above are potential liabilities
The largest potential cost related to site contamination is:
a. Fines.
b. Clean up costs.
c. Damages for human health impacts.
d. None of the above.
c. damages for human health impacts
Which of the following is a benefit of the environmental site assessment process:
a. Protection of human health and the environment.
b. Protection of public image.
c. Reduced financial liability.
d. All of the above.
d.all the above
The intrusive investigation phase of an ESA is?
a. phase I
b. phase II
c. phase III
d. phase IV
e. phase V
b. phase II
Post closure monitoring is done in:
a. phase I
b. phase II
c. phase III
d. phase IV
e. phase V
e. phase V
A phase I environmental site assessment:
a. is strictly non-intrusive, meaning no sampling is done
b. may involve some exploratory sampling is there is a potential for contamination
c. is sometimes not conducted at all is the site is known to contain contaminants
d. None of the above
a. is strictly non-intrusive, meaning no sampling is done
A Phase I environmental site assessment:
a. Can be authorized (signed) by any person that has sufficient experience to conduct a Phase I.
b. Must be signed by a member of one of 6 professional organizations in Alberta.
c. Is not required to be authorized because Alberta Environment will review the work that was done.
d. None of the above.
b. Must be signed by a member of one of 6 professional organizations in Alberta.
Through the records review, the assessor is:
a. Interested only in the study site.
b. Interested in the study site and neighboring properties.
c. Also involved in interviewing and the site visit, which makes Phase I ESA’s very time consuming.
d. None of the above.
b. Interested in the study site and neighboring properties.
The purpose of interviews is to:
a. Corroborate information obtained in other parts of the assessment and ultimately, to identify activities and events that may have led to the release of a harmful contaminant on the site.
b. To identify wrongdoers in case there is a future lawsuit.
c. Gather new sources of information that could be added to the records review.
d. All of the above.
a. Corroborate information obtained in other parts of the assessment and ultimately, to identify activities and events that may have led to the release of a harmful contaminant on the site.
Which of the following is NOT a potential conclusion from a Phase I environmental site assessment?
a. The Phase I has proven that the site contains no harmful contaminants and a Phase II is not required
b. There is no reasonable evidence to suspect the disposal or release of a harmful substance has occurred and no further assessment is required
c. There is evidence that a potential disposal or release of a harmful substance has occurred and a Phase II ESA is required
d. There is insufficient evidence to decide whether a disposal or release of a harmful substance has occurred and a Phase II ESA is required.
e. All are potential conclusions from a Phase I.
a. The Phase I has proven that the site contains no harmful contaminants and a Phase II is not required
