Ohio Practice TestEnvironmental

Ohio Environmental
Practice Questions & Answers (2026)

Environmental questions on the Ohio exam cover both federal environmental laws and Ohio-specific disclosure requirements. Federal topics include lead-based paint (pre-1978 housing), asbestos, radon, underground storage tanks, and CERCLA liability. Ohio has additional state-level environmental disclosure requirements enforced by the Ohio Division of Real Estate & Professional Licensing — including Ohio-specific environmental conditions that affect property use and disclosure. Environmental questions trip up candidates who studied only federal law without reviewing the OH-specific overlay.

Practice Questions

Ohio Environmental — Practice Questions & Answers

90 questions on Environmental from the Ohio real estate question bank. First 10 are free — sign up to unlock all 90.

Q1. Ohio EPA is primarily responsible for:

A.Issuing real estate licenses to environmental consultants
B.Regulating environmental protection, including contaminated site cleanup in Ohio
C.Setting property tax rates for industrial sites
D.Approving subdivisions in flood zones

Explanation

The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA) regulates air quality, water quality, waste management, and oversees cleanup of contaminated properties under state environmental laws.

Q2. A Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) is conducted to:

A.Test soil and groundwater for contamination
B.Identify recognized environmental conditions through records review and site inspection without sampling
C.Determine the cost of environmental remediation
D.Certify a property as environmentally clean

Explanation

A Phase I ESA involves reviewing records, conducting interviews, and visually inspecting the property to identify recognized environmental conditions (RECs) — without actual sampling.

Q3. Under federal law, sellers of homes built before 1978 must:

A.Remove all lead paint before closing
B.Disclose known lead-based paint hazards and provide the EPA lead paint pamphlet
C.Obtain a lead paint certification from the Ohio EPA
D.Pay for a lead paint inspection regardless of results

Explanation

The Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act (Title X) requires sellers of pre-1978 homes to disclose known lead-based paint hazards, provide any available records, and give buyers the EPA's lead hazard pamphlet.

Q4. Which environmental hazard is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that is the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers in Ohio?

A.Asbestos
B.Carbon monoxide
C.Radon
D.Formaldehyde

Explanation

Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that can accumulate in homes. Ohio has areas with elevated radon levels, and it is the leading environmental cause of lung cancer in non-smokers.

Q5. Asbestos is most dangerous when it is:

A.Intact and undisturbed in building materials
B.Friable — crumbling or releasing fibers into the air
C.Sealed under paint or encapsulant
D.Located in exterior building materials only

Explanation

Asbestos poses the greatest health risk when it is friable — meaning it can be crumbled by hand pressure — because the fibers become airborne and can be inhaled.

Q6. CERCLA (Superfund) holds which parties potentially liable for cleanup of contaminated sites?

A.Only the current property owner
B.Current owners, previous owners who caused contamination, transporters, and generators of hazardous waste
C.Only the party who originally disposed of the waste
D.Only the federal government

Explanation

CERCLA imposes strict, joint, and several liability on current owners, past owners at the time of disposal, transporters, and those who arranged for disposal of hazardous substances.

Q7. Underground storage tanks (USTs) are regulated primarily because they pose the risk of:

A.Structural damage to foundations
B.Groundwater contamination from leaking petroleum or hazardous chemicals
C.Radon gas accumulation
D.Fire hazards from above-ground sources

Explanation

Leaking USTs are a major source of soil and groundwater contamination, particularly from gasoline and other petroleum products. Ohio EPA oversees UST registration and cleanup programs.

Q8. An Ohio property is found to contain polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). This is most likely associated with:

A.Radon gas accumulation
B.Old electrical transformers and equipment manufactured before 1979
C.Lead paint on exterior surfaces
D.Underground storage tanks

Explanation

PCBs were used in electrical transformers, capacitors, and other equipment until they were banned in 1979. Properties with old electrical equipment may have PCB contamination.

Q9. Mold in a residential property is most commonly caused by:

A.Radon infiltration
B.Excessive moisture and inadequate ventilation
C.Lead-based paint deterioration
D.Formaldehyde off-gassing from furniture

Explanation

Mold growth requires moisture. It commonly results from water intrusion, plumbing leaks, flooding, condensation, or poor ventilation. Mold is a material fact that must be disclosed in Ohio.

Q10. Which federal law requires disclosure of known lead-based paint hazards in housing built before 1978?

A.CERCLA
B.Title X of the Housing and Community Development Act
C.RESPA
D.ECOA

Explanation

Title X of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1992 (the Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act) requires sellers and landlords of pre-1978 housing to disclose known lead-based paint hazards.

Q11. In Ohio, properties located in a FEMA-designated Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) are required to:

A.Be demolished if near a 100-year floodplain
B.Carry flood insurance if financed by a federally regulated lender
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