Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) SLC Practice Exam

What type of waste does the EPA specifically regulate?

1. Hazardous electronic waste

2. Biohazardous waste

3. Household waste

4. General recyclables

The correct answer is: Biohazardous waste

The correct answer is that the EPA specifically regulates biohazardous waste. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has established regulations to ensure the safe handling, treatment, and disposal of biohazardous waste, which includes medical waste that can potentially be infectious. This waste poses risks to human health and the environment if not managed properly, making it a key area of focus for the EPA to prevent contamination and health hazards. Regulations under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) specifically address how biohazardous materials must be treated and disposed of. The guidelines help medical facilities, laboratories, and other organizations handling such waste to implement proper safety protocols, thereby reducing the risk of exposure and environmental damage. While hazardous electronic waste, household waste, and general recyclables do have regulations, these are not exclusively managed by the EPA in the same way biohazardous waste is. Rather, electronics waste may fall under both state and federal regulations tailored to electronic materials, and household waste is typically managed at the local level with varying regulations depending on the municipality. General recyclables are governed more by recycling programs rather than strict federal oversight from the EPA, making biohazardous waste the most accurately regulated type within the scope of the question.