CHMP flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

RCRA characteristic waste

Waste exhibiting ignitability, corrosivity, reactivity, or toxicity under 40 CFR 261 Subpart C. Toxicity is determined by the Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure, which measures leachable metals and organics.

Listed hazardous waste

Waste placed on the F, K, P, or U lists in 40 CFR 261 Subpart D. F lists cover non-specific sources, K lists specific industrial sources, and P and U lists discarded commercial chemicals.

Generator status categories

Very small quantity generators produce 100 kg per month or less, small quantity generators 100 to 1000 kg, and large quantity generators more than 1000 kg. Status sets accumulation limits and reporting duties.

DOT packing groups

Packing groups I, II, and III rank hazardous materials by degree of danger as great, medium, and minor. Packing group drives packaging performance, segregation, and quantity restrictions on shipments.

Reportable quantity notification

Under CERCLA, a release of a hazardous substance above its reportable quantity must be reported to the National Response Center as soon as practicable, generally within 24 hours.

HAZWOPER training hours

General site workers need 40 hours of initial training plus 8 hours annual refresher. Occasional site workers need 24 hours initial. Both require medical surveillance and documented training records.

Tier II reporting

EPCRA Section 312 requires facilities storing hazardous chemicals at or above threshold planning quantities to submit annual Tier II inventory reports to state and local emergency planning authorities by March 1.

Incident command system

A standardized command structure with an incident commander directing operations, planning, logistics, and finance sections. A safety officer reports directly to the incident commander outside the section chain.

Hot, warm, cold zones

The hot zone is the exclusion area of highest contamination, the warm zone contains the contamination reduction corridor, and the cold zone is the support area free of contamination.

ERG guide number use

The emergency response guidebook assigns a three-digit guide number by placard or UN number. The guide gives initial isolation distances and protective actions, distinct from the UN identification number.

Decontamination corridor

A controlled path in the warm zone where personnel and equipment leaving the hot zone are washed and checked. It is established before entry, not after the emergency develops.

Site safety plan contents

Required by 29 CFR 1910.120, it documents site characterization, control zones, work practices, medical surveillance, and emergency response procedures, and is updated as site conditions change.

Defensive versus offensive response

Defensive operations act from outside the hot zone without contact, while offensive operations enter the hot zone with appropriate chemical protective clothing and respiratory protection to control the release.

Protective action distance

The downwind distance in the ERG green tables within which people may be harmed by a release. It depends on spill size, time of day, and whether the material is a gas or liquid.

Sampling and analysis plan

A planning document stating sampling objectives, design, number and location of samples, analytical methods, and quality control acceptance criteria before any field sample is collected.

Chain of custody

A record tracking sample identity, collection time, preservation, and every transfer signature. An unbroken chain supports the sample's admissibility for regulatory and enforcement decisions.

Method detection limit

The lowest concentration that can be measured and reported with 99 percent confidence that the analyte concentration is greater than zero, established by replicate analysis of a spiked matrix.

Trip blank purpose

A clean sample of the same matrix carried through the field and laboratory without exposure. It detects contamination introduced during transport and handling, especially for volatile organic compounds.

Composite versus discrete sample

A composite mixes several aliquots to represent an average area condition, while a discrete sample comes from one point and is used to delineate a hot spot or confirm a boundary.

SW-846 methods

The EPA test methods for evaluating solid waste, including method 8260 for volatiles, 8270 for semivolatiles, and 6010 or 6020 for metals. Method choice must match the decision being made.

Matrix spike recovery

A quality control measure where a known amount of analyte is added to a sample aliquot. Percent recovery compared to acceptance limits shows whether matrix effects bias the analytical result.

Preservation and holding time

Chemical additions and storage limits that keep samples valid. Metals are preserved with nitric acid to pH below 2, and volatiles with hydrochloric acid, each with a method-specific maximum holding time.

Conceptual site model

A diagram and narrative linking contaminant sources, release mechanisms, exposure pathways, and receptors. It guides sampling design, risk assessment, and selection of remedial alternatives.

RI/FS process

The remedial investigation characterizes the nature and extent of contamination, and the feasibility study develops and screens remedial alternatives against the nine CERCLA criteria.

Risk assessment four steps

Hazard identification, dose-response assessment, exposure assessment, and risk characterization. The result estimates the likelihood and magnitude of harm to human health or the environment.

CERCLA nine criteria

The factors for comparing remedial alternatives: overall protection, compliance with applicable requirements, long-term and short-term effectiveness, reduction of toxicity, implementability, cost, and state and community acceptance.

In-situ treatment

Remediation performed in place without excavation, including soil vapor extraction, air sparging, bioremediation, chemical oxidation, and thermal treatment. It avoids excavation cost and exposure.

Institutional controls

Legal or administrative restrictions such as deed restrictions, zoning limits, and groundwater use bans that prevent exposure when contamination remains in place. They require long-term monitoring and enforcement.

Remedial action objectives

Statements defining the media, contaminants, cleanup levels, and timeframe for a remedy. Cleanup levels are risk-based or drawn from applicable or relevant and appropriate requirements.

Project management triangle

The balance among scope, schedule, and cost. A change to any one element requires re-baselining the others and documenting the change through formal change control.

Work breakdown structure

A hierarchical decomposition of project deliverables into work packages, each with an assigned owner, duration, and cost estimate that supports scheduling and budget control.

Hazmat program KPIs

Measurable indicators such as training completion rate, inspection findings, spill rate per unit of throughput, and waste generated per unit of production, used to track program performance over time.