California ICC UST Inspector Practice Exam

According to Chapter 6.7 of the California Health and Safety Code, which statement is NOT consistent with its definitions?

1. "Board" means the State Water Resources Control Board

2. "Department" means the Department of Toxic Substances Control

3. "Hazardous substance" includes all liquid, solid, and gaseous substances

4. "Release" includes any spilling or leaking from an underground storage tank

The correct answer is: "Hazardous substance" includes all liquid, solid, and gaseous substances

The statement regarding "hazardous substance" is the one that is not consistent with the definitions outlined in Chapter 6.7 of the California Health and Safety Code. The law generally provides precise definitions for key terms, and while it addresses hazardous substances, it typically specifies particular categories or characteristics of those substances. "Hazardous substance" does not necessarily encompass every type of liquid, solid, and gaseous substance indiscriminately, as not all substances in these states are classified as hazardous. Instead, the law defines hazardous substances based on toxicity, reactivity, potential for harm, and regulatory standards, which serve to delineate what is encompassed within that term. Therefore, claiming that it includes "all" forms of substances overgeneralizes the specific legal criteria used to define hazardous substances, leading to confusion about what is covered under the law. In contrast, the other statements are aligned with the definitions established in the California Health and Safety Code. The references to the "Board" and "Department" clearly relate to regulatory bodies, and the definition of "Release" accurately captures the scenario of incidents involving underground storage tanks, signifying a loss of containment that must be reported and managed.