Virginia Environmental
Practice Questions & Answers (2026)
Environmental questions on the Virginia exam cover both federal environmental laws and Virginia-specific disclosure requirements. Federal topics include lead-based paint (pre-1978 housing), asbestos, radon, underground storage tanks, and CERCLA liability. Virginia has additional state-level environmental disclosure requirements enforced by the Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR) — including Virginia-specific environmental conditions that affect property use and disclosure. Environmental questions trip up candidates who studied only federal law without reviewing the VA-specific overlay.
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Virginia Environmental — Practice Questions & Answers
118 questions on Environmental from the Virginia real estate question bank. First 10 are free — sign up to unlock all 118.
Q1. The Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act in Virginia requires localities to establish:
Explanation
The Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act requires Tidewater Virginia localities to designate Resource Protection Areas (RPAs, a 100-foot buffer) and Resource Management Areas (RMAs) to protect water quality.
Q2. The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is responsible for:
Explanation
The Virginia DEQ administers programs related to air quality, water quality, waste management, and environmental cleanup, issuing permits and enforcing environmental regulations.
Q3. A Virginia seller must disclose the presence of lead-based paint in homes built before:
Explanation
Federal law (TSCA, 1992) requires disclosure of known lead-based paint hazards in residential properties built before 1978, when lead paint was banned for residential use.
Q4. Radon is a concern in Virginia because it:
Explanation
Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas produced by the decay of uranium in soil and rock. It can accumulate to dangerous levels in buildings, particularly basements. Parts of Virginia have elevated radon levels.
Q5. Under CERCLA (Superfund), liability for environmental contamination on a Virginia property may attach to:
Explanation
CERCLA imposes broad, joint and several liability on potentially responsible parties (PRPs), including current owners, former owners who disposed of hazardous substances, transporters, and generators.
Q6. Asbestos is a concern in Virginia properties built before approximately:
Explanation
Asbestos was commonly used in building materials until approximately 1980, when its health hazards became widely recognized. Homes built before 1980 may contain asbestos in insulation, floor tiles, and other materials.
Q7. A Virginia property near a dry cleaning business is found to have soil contamination from PCE (perchloroethylene). This would be classified as:
Explanation
PCE (perchloroethylene) contamination from dry cleaning solvents is a serious environmental hazard. It requires disclosure as a known material defect, investigation, and often remediation under Virginia and federal environmental law.
Q8. A Virginia coastal property within a Resource Protection Area (RPA) under the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act typically has a minimum buffer of:
Explanation
RPAs under the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act typically include a minimum 100-foot buffer of undisturbed vegetation adjacent to tidal waters, tidal wetlands, and certain non-tidal wetlands in Tidewater Virginia.
Q9. Underground storage tanks (USTs) on a Virginia property are a concern primarily because:
Explanation
USTs, particularly older steel tanks, may corrode and leak petroleum products or hazardous chemicals, contaminating soil and groundwater. Virginia DEQ regulates USTs under state and federal law.
Q10. Wetlands on a Virginia property are regulated by:
Explanation
Wetlands are regulated at the federal level by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, and at the state level by Virginia DEQ. Development in wetlands typically requires permits.
Q11. Mold in a Virginia rental property is primarily the landlord's responsibility to address when:
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