CPESC Questions and Answers A+
Graded (2025)
Erosion .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-process .in .which, .by .the .actions .of .wind .and/or
.water, .soil .particles .detached .and .transported
Sediment .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-eroded .material .suspended .in .wind .or .water
Sedimentation .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-deposition .of .eroded .material
Types .of .Erosion .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-splash
sheet
rill
gully
channel
Splash .erosion .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-raindrop .impact .energy .is .enough .to
.dislodge .surface .sediments
sheet .erosion .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-caused .by .rain .splash .detaching .soil
.particles .lifting .them .up .and .removing .them .by .shallow ."sheets" .of .water
.flowing .down .the .sloped .soil .surface
Rill .Erosion .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-as .flow .concentrates, .small .channels .begin .to
.form .in .the .soil .surface
Gully .Erosion .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-Formed .when .runoff .cuts .rills .deeper .and
.wider .or .when .flows .from .several .rills .come .together .and .form .a .large .channels
Channel .Erosion .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-may .become .unstable .due .to .increased
.flows .or .changes .in .upstream .sediment .load
Natural .erosion .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-generally .considered .due .to .the .influences
.of .climate .on .the .surface .of .the .earth
Accelerated .erosion .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-natural .erosion .plus .human .activities
What .problems .can .accelerated .erosion .cause? .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-
Unrestricted .development
removal .of .surface .cover
,increased .imperviousness
poor .stewardship
Problems .associated .with .construction .related .erosion .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-
problems .for .down .slope .property .owners
nuisance .problems .on .streets
clog .streams .and .storm .drains
increased .turbidity .downstream
cover .sensitive .habitat .with .sediment
Identify .instream .damages .of .sediment .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-destruction .of
.spawning .areas, .food .sources, .habitat
direct .toxicity .to .wildlife
lake .degradation
filling .of .navigation .channels
impacts .to .commercial .fisheries
reduction .of .water .storage .capacities
Suspended .material .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-sediment .can .affect .light .penetration,
.channel .stability, .fisheries .and .habitat
Name .Off .stream .damages .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-Increased .flood .hazards
increased .water .treatment .costs
decreased .capacity .in .conveyance .facilities
higher .infrastructure .maintenance .costs
What .has .increased .the .amount .of .impervious .surface .in .our .watersheds? .-
.CORRECT .ANSWER-Urbanization .and .development
priority .pollutants .include .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-nutrients
pathogens
heavy .metals
toxics
sediment
salts
detergents
hydro .carbons
Clean .Water .Act .(CWA) .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-Federal .Water .Pollution .Control
.Act .enacted .to .restore .and .maintain .the .chemical, .physical .and .biological
.integrity .of .the .waters .of .the .US
administered .by .USEPA
Section .401 .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-water .quality .certification .
requires .applicant, .including .any .construction .or .operation .of .a .facility, .to .obtain
.certification .to .discharge .ANY .pollutant. .
administered .by .the .State
, Section .402 .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-NPDES .Regs
NPDES .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-National .Pollutant .Discharge .Elimination .System
MS4 .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-Municipal .Separate .Storm .Sewers .Systems
NURP .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-Nationwide .Urban .Runoff .Program
1987-1983
led .to .EPA .regulating .stormwater
Phase .I
(1987 .- .1992) .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-already .covered .by .NPDES .permit
facilities .that .engage .in .industrial .activity .
Large .municipal .storm .systems .(>250,000)
Medium .municipal .storms .systems .(100 .- .250 .K)
facilities .that .EPA .said .were .significant .contributors
Storm .Water .Implementation .Rule .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-enacted .April .1992,
.identified .minimum .requirements .for .NPDES .stormwater .permits
Section .404 .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-regulates .dredge ./ .fill .permitting .into .waters .of
.the .US .administered .by .USACE
CZARA .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-Coastal .Zone .Act .Reauthorization .Amendments
.(CZARA) .of .1990 .requires .coastal .zone .states .to .develop .Coastal .Nonpoint
.Pollution .Control .Programs
.
section .6217 .nonpoint .source .in .coastal .areas
stormwater .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-stormwater .runoff, .snow .melt .runoff, .and
.surface .runoff .and .drainage
NPDES .stormwater .regulation .say .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-stormwater .must .be .in
.any .discernable, .confined, .and .discrete .conveyance, .including .but .not .limited .to
.any .pipe, .ditch, .channel, .tunnel, .well, .discrete .fissure, .container, .rolling .stock,
.concentrated .feeding .operation....
waters .of .the .US .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-waters .used .for .interstate .or .foreign
.commerce
all .interstate .waters .including .wetlands
all .other .waters, .the .use .ofr .degeration .of .which .would .affect .interstate .or
.foreign .commerce
impoundments .of .waters
territorial .sea
wetlands .adjacent .to .waters .above
Phase .II .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-December .1999, .require .construction .sites
.disturbing .equal .to .or .greater .than .1 .acre . and .less .than .5 .to .control .pollutants .in
.stormwater .runoff.
Graded (2025)
Erosion .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-process .in .which, .by .the .actions .of .wind .and/or
.water, .soil .particles .detached .and .transported
Sediment .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-eroded .material .suspended .in .wind .or .water
Sedimentation .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-deposition .of .eroded .material
Types .of .Erosion .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-splash
sheet
rill
gully
channel
Splash .erosion .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-raindrop .impact .energy .is .enough .to
.dislodge .surface .sediments
sheet .erosion .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-caused .by .rain .splash .detaching .soil
.particles .lifting .them .up .and .removing .them .by .shallow ."sheets" .of .water
.flowing .down .the .sloped .soil .surface
Rill .Erosion .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-as .flow .concentrates, .small .channels .begin .to
.form .in .the .soil .surface
Gully .Erosion .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-Formed .when .runoff .cuts .rills .deeper .and
.wider .or .when .flows .from .several .rills .come .together .and .form .a .large .channels
Channel .Erosion .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-may .become .unstable .due .to .increased
.flows .or .changes .in .upstream .sediment .load
Natural .erosion .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-generally .considered .due .to .the .influences
.of .climate .on .the .surface .of .the .earth
Accelerated .erosion .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-natural .erosion .plus .human .activities
What .problems .can .accelerated .erosion .cause? .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-
Unrestricted .development
removal .of .surface .cover
,increased .imperviousness
poor .stewardship
Problems .associated .with .construction .related .erosion .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-
problems .for .down .slope .property .owners
nuisance .problems .on .streets
clog .streams .and .storm .drains
increased .turbidity .downstream
cover .sensitive .habitat .with .sediment
Identify .instream .damages .of .sediment .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-destruction .of
.spawning .areas, .food .sources, .habitat
direct .toxicity .to .wildlife
lake .degradation
filling .of .navigation .channels
impacts .to .commercial .fisheries
reduction .of .water .storage .capacities
Suspended .material .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-sediment .can .affect .light .penetration,
.channel .stability, .fisheries .and .habitat
Name .Off .stream .damages .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-Increased .flood .hazards
increased .water .treatment .costs
decreased .capacity .in .conveyance .facilities
higher .infrastructure .maintenance .costs
What .has .increased .the .amount .of .impervious .surface .in .our .watersheds? .-
.CORRECT .ANSWER-Urbanization .and .development
priority .pollutants .include .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-nutrients
pathogens
heavy .metals
toxics
sediment
salts
detergents
hydro .carbons
Clean .Water .Act .(CWA) .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-Federal .Water .Pollution .Control
.Act .enacted .to .restore .and .maintain .the .chemical, .physical .and .biological
.integrity .of .the .waters .of .the .US
administered .by .USEPA
Section .401 .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-water .quality .certification .
requires .applicant, .including .any .construction .or .operation .of .a .facility, .to .obtain
.certification .to .discharge .ANY .pollutant. .
administered .by .the .State
, Section .402 .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-NPDES .Regs
NPDES .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-National .Pollutant .Discharge .Elimination .System
MS4 .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-Municipal .Separate .Storm .Sewers .Systems
NURP .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-Nationwide .Urban .Runoff .Program
1987-1983
led .to .EPA .regulating .stormwater
Phase .I
(1987 .- .1992) .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-already .covered .by .NPDES .permit
facilities .that .engage .in .industrial .activity .
Large .municipal .storm .systems .(>250,000)
Medium .municipal .storms .systems .(100 .- .250 .K)
facilities .that .EPA .said .were .significant .contributors
Storm .Water .Implementation .Rule .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-enacted .April .1992,
.identified .minimum .requirements .for .NPDES .stormwater .permits
Section .404 .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-regulates .dredge ./ .fill .permitting .into .waters .of
.the .US .administered .by .USACE
CZARA .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-Coastal .Zone .Act .Reauthorization .Amendments
.(CZARA) .of .1990 .requires .coastal .zone .states .to .develop .Coastal .Nonpoint
.Pollution .Control .Programs
.
section .6217 .nonpoint .source .in .coastal .areas
stormwater .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-stormwater .runoff, .snow .melt .runoff, .and
.surface .runoff .and .drainage
NPDES .stormwater .regulation .say .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-stormwater .must .be .in
.any .discernable, .confined, .and .discrete .conveyance, .including .but .not .limited .to
.any .pipe, .ditch, .channel, .tunnel, .well, .discrete .fissure, .container, .rolling .stock,
.concentrated .feeding .operation....
waters .of .the .US .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-waters .used .for .interstate .or .foreign
.commerce
all .interstate .waters .including .wetlands
all .other .waters, .the .use .ofr .degeration .of .which .would .affect .interstate .or
.foreign .commerce
impoundments .of .waters
territorial .sea
wetlands .adjacent .to .waters .above
Phase .II .- .CORRECT .ANSWER-December .1999, .require .construction .sites
.disturbing .equal .to .or .greater .than .1 .acre . and .less .than .5 .to .control .pollutants .in
.stormwater .runoff.
