PE Environmental case studies
PE Environmental · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The PE Environmental is one of the NCEES Principles and Practice of Engineering exams, a computer-based licensure test for engineers pursuing the professional engineer designation in environmental engineering. NCEES describes the PE exam as testing for a minimum level of competency in a particular engineering discipline and designs it for engineers with a minimum of four years of post-college work experience in that discipline. The PE Environmental case studies are 5 cases and about 5,199 words.
1Stack Test Fallout: When a Passing Average Isn't Compliance
A chemical plant's permit caps NOx at 0.020 lb/MMBtu, determined by the arithmetic average of three 1-hour EPA Method 7E runs conducted at or above 90% of the maximum operating rate. The 2024 test ran at 94%, 97%, and 99% of rated capacity.
944 words, about 5 min2A Wet-Weather Bypass at a Plant Already Over Design Flow
A 1.5 MGD activated sludge plant serving 11,000 people has NPDES limits of 25 mg/L CBOD5 and 30 mg/L TSS (30-day averages), 4.0 mg/L NH3-N (May–October, 30-day average), and pH 6.0–9.0. In June the plant averaged 1.8 MGD.
1,058 words, about 5 min3One Big Cleanout: Does a Single Tank Drain Make You a Large Quantity Generator?
A 40-person equipment maintenance shop degreases parts in a 60-gallon parts washer using Stoddard solvent (flash point 105°F). Routine changeout generates two 55-gallon drums per month, about 330 kg total.
1,066 words, about 5 min4Dry Cleaner Site: Groundwater Plume, Soil Gas, and a Push for No Further Action
A Phase II at a former dry cleaner (operated 1968–2004) found PCE in soil gas at 850 µg/m³ sampled 5 ft below the slab of the building, which is now a single-family residence. The state's residential soil-gas screening level is 120 µg/m³.
1,111 words, about 6 min5Two Solvents, One Worker, Three Sets of Limits
At a coatings batch-mixing station, personal 8-hour monitoring shows toluene at 62 ppm and methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) at 88 ppm. A 15-minute sample taken during drum changeout shows toluene at 190 ppm.
1,020 words, about 5 min