Virginia Environmental Specialties Contracting Qualified Individual Examination

Under 18VAC50-22-30, what service does Virginia Environmental Specialties contracting (ENV) provide?

• AConstruction of wells used only to monitor hazardous substances in the ground
• BInstallation, repair, removal, or improvement of pollution control and remediation devices
• CAdditions to buildings solely to mitigate radon gas
• DConstruction of nonresidential vessels and tanks that convey process fluids

Which functions does 18VAC50-22-30 expressly say the ENV specialty does not provide?

• AInstallation or removal of remediation devices
• BRepair or improvement of pollution control devices
• CElectrical, plumbing, gas fitting, or HVAC functions
• DWork that the Highway/Heavy classification may also perform

Which other Virginia contractor classification also provides the ENV pollution-control and remediation-device function?

• AHighway/Heavy (H/H)
• BResidential Building Contractor (RBC)
• CElectrical (ELE)
• DPlumbing (PLB)

A client wants a well constructed solely to monitor hazardous substances in the ground. Which specialty definition applies, rather than ENV?

• AVessel Construction contracting (VCC)
• BRadon Mitigation contracting (RMC)
• CDrug Lab Remediation contracting (DLR)
• DEnvironmental Monitoring Well contracting (EMW)

A homeowner wants building alterations only to mitigate naturally occurring radon gas. Why is that not the ENV specialty path?

• ARadon work is included inside ENV whenever a fan is used
• B18VAC50-22-30 assigns building radon-gas mitigation to Radon Mitigation contracting (RMC)…
• COnly an HVAC classification may mitigate any soil gas
• DOnly EMW contractors may work on any soil-gas pathway

A plant wants a new nonresidential steel tank and process piping built to hold an industrial fluid that is not sanitary, storm, waste, or potable water. Which specialty definition covers that tank construction, rather than ENV alone?

• AEnvironmental Monitoring Well contracting (EMW)
• BHome Improvement contracting (HIC)
• CVessel Construction contracting (VCC)
• DLandscape Service contracting (LSC)

Cleanup, treatment, containment, or removal of hazardous substances at a property formerly used to manufacture methamphetamine is which specialty, which 18VAC50-22-30 says no other classification or specialty provides?

• ADrug Lab Remediation contracting (DLR)
• BEnvironmental Specialties contracting (ENV)
• CLead Abatement contracting (LAC)
• DAsbestos contracting (ASB)

An ENV firm is installing a packaged soil-vapor extraction skid. The owner also wants the firm to run a new branch circuit, install the motor starter, and energize the blower. What is the correct ENV-scope analysis?

• AENV includes the electrical work because the blower is a remediation device
• BENV includes the electrical work if the circuit is 50 volts or less
• CENV includes the electrical work if a journeyman helper is on site
• DENV may install the remediation device but does not provide the electrical functions

Which set of verbs appears in the official 18VAC50-22-30 ENV definition?

• ADesign, certify, operate, and permit
• BInstallation, repair, removal, or improvement
• CSurvey, sample, analyze, and report
• DExcavate, pave, roof, and frame

Removal or encapsulation of asbestos-containing materials annexed to real property is which specialty that 18VAC50-22-30 says no other classification or specialty provides?

• AEnvironmental Specialties contracting (ENV)
• BInsulation and weather stripping contracting (INS)
• CAsbestos contracting (ASB)
• DPainting and wallcovering contracting (PTC)

An ENV contractor is setting a groundwater treatment skid inside a new equipment building. The owner also wants the same firm, using only its ENV specialty, to install the building's potable plumbing, comfort HVAC, and natural-gas unit heater. What is required?

• AHold or subcontract the matching plumbing, HVAC, and gas-fitting classifications; ENV alo…
• BPerform the plumbing, HVAC, and gas work under ENV because they serve a remediation device
• CPerform the work under ENV if the equipment building is smaller than 500 square feet
• DPerform the gas and HVAC work under ENV and pull only an electrical permit

Which project is inside the ENV specialty as defined in 18VAC50-22-30?

• AConstructing a new county office building with no pollution-control devices
• BInstalling a residential comfort heat pump
• CRunning new interior lighting circuits in a warehouse
• DInstalling a packaged air-stripper and associated remediation piping as a pollution-contr…

Soil vapor extraction (SVE) is conceptually designed to remove volatile contaminants primarily from which subsurface zone?

• ADeep bedrock aquifers below any water table
• BThe unsaturated (vadose) zone by applying vacuum to extraction wells
• COpen surface-water channels only
• DIndoor occupied air with no subsurface connection

What is the conceptual purpose of an air-sparging device in a groundwater remediation system?

• AInject air into the saturated zone to volatilize and aerate contaminants
• BInject grout to permanently seal every monitoring well
• CHeat indoor air so vapor intrusion cannot occur
• DReplace the need for any vapor recovery at the surface

Why are air-sparging devices commonly installed together with soil vapor extraction?

• ASparging already captures all vapors inside the saturated-zone well screen
• BSVE is only used to add water to the aquifer
• CSparging can drive stripped vapors into the unsaturated zone, where SVE can recover them
• DThe pair is required only when the contaminant is a metal ion

What is the conceptual layout of a pump-and-treat remediation system?

• AInject oxidant only; no water is extracted
• BPlace a reactive wall and never pump water
• CCover the site with a vapor barrier and stop all well work
• DExtract contaminated groundwater and treat it in an aboveground device before discharge o…

How do LNAPL and DNAPL behave in a water-bearing zone, and why does that change remediation-device layout?

• ABoth sink; recovery devices are only placed at the water table
• BLNAPL is lighter than water and floats; DNAPL is denser than water and can sink to finer…
• CBoth float; recovery devices are only placed on bedrock
• DNeither forms a separate phase, so gravity separation is impossible

A recovery pump runs at 15 gallons per minute for an 8-hour shift. How many gallons are extracted that shift?

• A120 gallons
• B900 gallons
• C7,200 gallons
• D21,600 gallons

What is the conceptual function of an in-situ chemical oxidation (ISCO) delivery system?

• AInject a chemical oxidant so it destroys or transforms contaminants in place
• BExtract all groundwater and haul it off site with no treatment
• CPlace only a surface mulch blanket to stop every dissolved plume
• DVent indoor air so subsurface chemistry is unchanged

A permeable reactive barrier (PRB) filled with granular zero-valent iron is conceptually installed to do which job?

• APump every gallon of site groundwater to an aboveground stripper
• BCreate a watertight slurry wall that stops all flow
• CHeat the vadose zone until all liquids boil
• DTreat dissolved chlorinated solvents as groundwater flows through the reactive media

What does a dual-phase or multi-phase extraction device recover at the same well?

• AOnly stormwater from roof drains
• BSoil vapor and liquid (groundwater and/or free product) under vacuum
• COnly outdoor ambient air for dilution
• DOnly potable water from a public main

Constructing a well whose purpose is only to monitor hazardous substances in the ground is which specialty, not ENV device installation?

• ARadon Mitigation contracting (RMC)
• BVessel Construction contracting (VCC)
• CEnvironmental Monitoring Well contracting (EMW)
• DFire Suppression contracting (FSP)

Using Darcy's law Q = K i A, what is the groundwater flow through a 1,000-square-foot cross-section if hydraulic conductivity K is 25 feet per day and the hydraulic gradient i is 0.004?

• A100 cubic feet per day
• B25 cubic feet per day
• C4 cubic feet per day
• D2,500 cubic feet per day

What is the conceptual purpose of a low-permeability slurry wall or cutoff wall in a remediation layout?

• AIncrease aquifer permeability so every well yields more water
• BReplace the need for any surface cover or cap
• CAct as a permeable iron reactor across the entire site
• DLimit or redirect groundwater flow as a containment device

What is the conceptual role of a bioremediation amendment-delivery system?

• ASterilize the aquifer so no microbes remain
• BAdd oxygen, donors, or nutrients so microbes can degrade contaminants in place
• CReplace groundwater with potable city water
• DCoat the water table with a permanent plastic sheet

A contaminated-soil excavation measures 36 feet long, 15 feet wide, and 6 feet deep. What is the in-place volume in cubic yards?

• A36 cubic yards
• B90 cubic yards
• C120 cubic yards
• D3,240 cubic yards

Which site condition makes a conventional SVE device a poor conceptual choice?

• AA high water table or low-permeability clay with little air-filled pore space, or a non-v…
• BDry sandy vadose-zone soils with volatile organic compounds
• CA thick unsaturated zone and documented soil-gas VOC mass
• DCoarse fill above the water table with measurable vacuum radius

In a pump-and-treat train, what is the conceptual job of a packed-tower air stripper?

• ASettle grit by gravity with no air contact
• BPrecipitate metals by raising pH only
• CIncinerate solid filter cake
• DTransfer volatile contaminants from water to an air stream for off-gas treatment

How does an active sub-slab depressurization (SSD) device protect a building from subsurface chemical vapors?

• AIt pressurizes the sub-slab so soil gas is forced indoors
• BIt keeps sub-slab air pressure lower than indoor air so soil gas is pulled away from the…
• CIt heats the slab until all chemicals oxidize in place
• DIt replaces the need to seal any slab cracks or penetrations

Why is a chemical vapor-intrusion mitigation device not the Virginia RMC radon-credential path?

• ARMC covers every soil-gas fan, including VOC remediation devices
• BENV and RMC are identical specialties under 18VAC50-22-30
• CRMC is defined as building work to mitigate or prevent radon gas; ENV is pollution contro…
• DOnly HVAC contractors may mitigate chemical vapor intrusion

A building has a dirt-floor crawl space with chemical vapor intrusion. Which mitigation device is the conceptual match?

• AA sub-membrane depressurization system: sealed membrane over soil, then vacuum beneath th…
• BAn unsealed window fan blowing outdoor air onto the dirt
• CA comfort furnace used as the only vapor-control device
• DA roof gutter used as a soil-gas collector

What is the conceptual role of a sub-slab vapor barrier (geomembrane or spray-applied membrane) in a chemical vapor-intrusion design?

• AIt is a structural footing that replaces all concrete
• BIt is a potable-water liner inside a well casing
• CIt is only a radon-specific RMC credential document
• DIt is a low-permeability layer that slows vapor migration and is often paired with ventin…

During installation of a chemical vapor-mitigation system, why must slab cracks, floor drains, and utility penetrations be sealed?

• ASealing is only cosmetic and has no effect on pressure fields
• BUnsealed openings short-circuit the pressure field and give soil gas a path indoors
• CSealing replaces the need for any exhaust stack
• DSealing is required only when the contaminant is carbon dioxide

What does a U-tube manometer on an active vapor-mitigation riser indicate to the installer or operator?

• AIndoor relative humidity only
• BPotable-water pressure in psi
• CWhether the fan is developing vacuum (or pressure) in the system
• DThe building's electrical service amperage

Where should the exhaust of a chemical vapor-mitigation stack discharge?

• AAbove the roof and away from windows, doors, and outdoor-air intakes
• BDirectly into a mechanical-room return-air plenum
• CUnder the building soffit next to a bedroom window
• DInto the sanitary plumbing vent so the gases dissolve

What is a pressure-field extension (PFE) test used to verify on a newly installed SSD device?

• AThat indoor lights dim when the fan starts
• BThat the slab concrete reached 5,000 psi
• CThat potable water is being produced from the suction pit
• DThat measurable vacuum reaches the intended coverage area under the slab

What is the difference between a passive vapor-venting device and an active SSD device?

• APassive systems use wind or stack effect only; active systems use a fan to create vacuum
• BPassive systems always outperform active fans in tight clay
• CActive systems are allowed only for radon and never for chemical vapors
• DThere is no difference; the terms are interchangeable

Why might a designer specify a mitigation device based on sub-slab soil-gas results even when a single indoor-air sample is low?

• AIndoor air is the only medium that can ever contain VOCs
• BSub-slab soil gas is never related to indoor exposure
• CIndoor air varies with ventilation and weather, while sub-slab soil gas shows the source…
• DA low indoor-air result legally forbids any mitigation device

How does a building SSD device differ conceptually from a site-wide SVE remediation system?

• ASSD protects the building by controlling pressure under the slab; SVE is sized to remove…
• BThey are identical systems with identical well screens and flow rates
• CSVE is only used indoors as a comfort fan
• DSSD extracts groundwater while SVE injects oxidant

Why do active chemical vapor-mitigation fans commonly include a failure warning (audible alarm, light, or telemetry)?

• ATo increase indoor humidity when the fan stops
• BTo start a backup HVAC compressor automatically
• CTo record concrete truck tickets
• DSo occupants or operators know vacuum has been lost and soil gas may enter again

What is the conceptual idea behind an aerated-floor or void-form vapor-mitigation device under a new slab?

• ACast a solid unvented mass so no air can move at all
• BCreate a designed air space under the slab that can be vented or depressurized as a colle…
• CUse the building HVAC ducts as the only soil-gas pathway
• DStore hazardous waste in the void as a disposal unit

An ENV contractor is asked to install a sub-slab depressurization fan and vapor barrier because chlorinated-solvent soil gas is entering a warehouse. The owner says the crew must first obtain the RMC radon specialty because 'any mitigation fan is radon work.' What is the correct specialty reading?

• AThe owner is correct; RMC is required for every fan that moves soil gas
• BThe work is automatically HVAC because a fan is involved
• CRMC is the radon-gas building specialty; a chemical vapor-intrusion remediation device is…
• DOnly EMW may install any device that touches soil gas

What is the purpose of a secondary-containment device around a tank or drum storage area?

• AHold a release so the product does not reach soil, drains, or waters
• BIncrease the tank's original shell thickness
• CReplace all overfill-prevention devices
• DAllow tanks to be stored with no inspection

A rectangular containment berm has interior dimensions of 25 feet by 20 feet and a 2-foot usable height. Using 7.48 gallons per cubic foot, what is the containment volume?

• A1,000 gallons
• B7,480 gallons
• C10,000 gallons
• D74,800 gallons

Under 40 CFR 112.8(c)(2), how must bulk-storage secondary containment for an SPCC-regulated installation be sized?

• AEqual to 10 percent of the smallest container only
• BEqual to the sum of every container on the entire property with no freeboard
• CEqual to 24 hours of rainfall and nothing else
• DThe entire capacity of the largest single container plus sufficient freeboard to contain…

What does interstitial monitoring detect on a double-wall tank or double-wall piping?

• AOnly outdoor wind speed
• BOnly the temperature of stored product
• CLiquid or a pressure/vacuum change in the space between the primary and secondary walls
• DOnly whether a manway gasket is the correct color

Which pair of devices is intended to keep product from spilling at the fill port during delivery?

• AA spill-containment bucket (spill catchment) and an overfill-prevention device
• BA roof scupper and a downspout
• CA comfort thermostat and a supply register
• DA silt fence and a construction entrance