REP study guide
REP · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Registered Environmental Professional (REP®) is one of the certifications administered by the National Registry of Environmental Professionals® (NREP®), a not-for-profit accrediting organization founded by Dr. Richard Young in 1987. NREP describes itself as the largest not-for-profit accrediting organization in its field, with a network of over 15,000 members worldwide, and states that it has been recognized by the United States Department of Energy and the United States Environmental Protection Agency. The REP® is aimed at working environmental professionals who want a generalist credential rather than a narrow specialty one; NREP also offers specialist credentials and publishes comparison pages such as CEP® vs REP®, which is worth reading if you are deciding which fits your background. Topics on this exam: Environmental compliance, Environmental science and technology, Safety and occupational health, and Professional ethics and standards. The REP study guide has 4 sections and about 1,130 words.
01Environmental Compliance
This domain tests whether you can apply the U.S. federal regulatory framework - and stricter state overlays - to real facility operations. Expect questions on waste identification, permits, release reporting, and recordkeeping. RCRA follows waste “cradle to grave.” Generator status depends on monthly mass: very small (<100 kg/mo), small (100–1,000 kg/mo), large (≥1,000 kg/mo); acute hazardous waste has a 1 kg/mo threshold.
300 words, about 2 min02Environmental Science and Technology
This domain tests the science behind contamination and the technologies used to monitor, treat, and remediate it. Questions often ask you to select a technology based on contaminant properties, geology, and cost. Fate and transport: advection moves contaminants with groundwater; dispersion spreads them; sorption retards metals and hydrophobic organics; biodegradation can attenuate petroleum hydrocarbons. Air control: cyclones remove coarse particulates; baghouses and ESPs capture fine particles; scrubbers remove acid gases; thermal oxidizers destroy VOCs.
278 words, about 1 min03Safety and Occupational Health
This domain tests OSHA-based worker protection, especially for hazardous waste and emergency response. You must distinguish routine industrial hygiene from HAZWOPER emergency operations. General Duty Clause: employers must provide a workplace free of recognized serious hazards when no specific standard applies. HAZWOPER (29 CFR 1910.120): 40-hour initial training plus 8-hour annual refresher for hazardous waste site workers; 24-hour training for occasional site visitors; emergency responders need appropriate levels.
281 words, about 1 min04Professional Ethics and Standards
This domain tests judgment: whether you protect public health, report data honestly, and stay within your competence. Ethics questions often present a client pressure scenario with no perfect option. Competence: accept work only when qualified; use current methods and validated data. Integrity: never falsify, omit, or “adjust” monitoring results; document deviations.
271 words, about 1 min