LSAT 4 | Section 1 | Logical Reasoning: Q12

LR Question 12 Explanation

QUESTION TEXT: Leachate is a solution, frequently highly contaminated…

QUESTION TYPE: Must be True

ANALYSIS: “If and only if a landfill’s capacity to hold liquids is exceeded.” This is both a sufficient and necessary condition. “If and only if” is an interesting formulation.

Apart from that all we know is that leachate is sent to sewage treatment plants but that not all treatment plants can handle it.

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1. The ability to predict the volume of escaping leachate would help with preventing disastrous spills. But disposal is another issue: it is what you do to deal with leachate before it has escaped the landfill.
2. No. Only if enough water permeates the landfill so that it’s capacity to hold liquid is exceeded.
3. We only know that some cannot. Presumably some plants can treat leachate otherwise it would be really dumb to send leachate to sewage treatment plants.
4. That would be dumb. Presumably people only send leachate to plants that are capable of handling it.
5. CORRECT. Yes. Leachate escapes only if that capacity has been exceeded.

Recap: The question begins with “Leachate is a solution, frequently highly contaminated”. It is a Must be True question. Learn more about LSAT MBT questions in our guide to LSAT Logical Reasoning question types.