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ECONOMICS VERSUS THE ENVIRONMENT: AN ETHICAL
PREDICAMENT IN THE PHOTOVOLTAIC INDUSTRY
Ben Harper (bjh87@pitt.edu)
THE INFLUENCE OF THE SUNSHOT
INITIATIVE AND ISO14001
CERTIFICATION ON THE
PHOTOVOLTAIC INDUSTRY
Since 2011 the United States government has
administered a program named “The SunShot Initiative” to
advance technologies in solar power. Some of the goals of
the SunShot Initiative are to lower the cost of solar power so
that it compares with that of power generated by fossil fuels,
to make solar power more efficient so it can be used by both
businesses and individual consumers alike, and to use solar
power as a sustainable form of energy which will
significantly reduce carbon emissions.
As recently as September 2015, the Obama
administration announced 120 million dollars in funding to
facilitate solar power projects throughout the nation [1]. The
receipt of such funding would allow a solar power company
the resources to expand its research and development
departments to create a more efficient solar panel as well as
expand the company’s physical plant operations, enabling an
increase in solar panel production. This governmental
support of the photovoltaic industry is of particular interest
to me because I work as a quality control engineer for a solar
panel manufacturer.
My employer, the Sunversion
Company, which has its headquarters in China, built a
factory two years ago in the Silicon Valley area of
California. To be considered for a grant from the SunShot
Initiative, it is desirable for a company to achieve ISO14001
certification. The ISO14001 is an international standard
which
“establishes and maintains a company’s
environmental management system or EMS” [2]. The
Environmental Management System of a company uses
process controls and continuous monitoring and
improvement to ensure compliance with environmental law
and reduce any harmful impact on the environment [2].
Obtaining an ISO14001 accreditation is indicative of the
high priority which businesses commit to protecting the
environment. The Sunversion Company’s goal is to be
ISO14001 certified, and it is my responsibility to develop an
EMS which meets their standards. According to the United
States Environmental Protection Agency, an EMS should
“identify all aspects of the organization’s activities,
products, and services that could have a significant impact
on the environment, including those that are not regulated”
[3]. After reviewing our manufacturing procedures I became
aware of a production issue which will have both an adverse
University of Pittsburgh, Swanson School of Engineering 1
2015-11-03
effect on the environment and our potential ISO14001
certification.
AN ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE OF
SOLAR PANEL PRODUCTION: THE
HAZARDS OF SILICON TETRACHLORIDE
The issue which I am concerned about involves the use
of silicon in the production of solar panels. As part of the
manufacturing process, silicon is refined into a purer form
called polysilicon by combining a metallurgical-grade
silicon with hydrochloric acid which turns it into a substance
called trichorosilanes. Hydrogen is then added to the
trichlorosilanes which produces polysilicon and liquid
silicon tetrachloride [4]. Three to four tons of silicon
tetrachloride is made in the production of one ton of
polysilicon [4]. Silicon tetrachloride is a highly toxic
chemical for several reasons. If it is released into the air it
forms a fog-like cloud which can react with moisture in the
air or water to form hydrochloric acid, a poisonous gas, and
a white colored residue of silicon dioxide which may coat
vegetation, houses, and any other objects that are exposed in
the outdoor environment. Contact with silicon tetrachloride
can cause slight irritation to severe burns of the eyes, skin,
mouth, throat and respiratory tract in humans [5]. How do
manufacturers of solar panels deal with such a toxic
chemical? It is a common practice in the United States to
ship the residual silicon tetrachloride to a hazardous waste
facility by truck or by rail [6]. One alternative is to sell the
silicon tetrachloride to the telecommunications and power
industries, where the compound is used to manufacture fiber
optic cables [7]. Another alternative is to recycle the silicon
tetrachloride. The recycling process removes the silicon so
more polysilicon can be made and it requires less energy
than producing it from raw silica. The drawback to
recycling is that the expenditure for the reprocessing
equipment is in the tens of millions of dollars [4]. However,
in other countries, environmental regulations concerning the
disposal of hazardous waste are not as stringent as they are
in the United States. In 2008, Ariana Cha, a journalist for
The Washington Post, documented eyewitness reports that
workers from the Luoyang Zhonggui High-Technology
Company of Henan Province in China were dumping a
“bubbling white liquid” in the fields of a nearby village
outside its factory on a daily basis for nine months.
Luoyang Zhonggui is a manufacturer of polysilicon for solar
energy panels. The land at the dump site became barren and
the soil turned white; simultaneously, the villagers “noticed
that their crops were wilting under a dusting of white
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powder” [8]. The Washington Post had an analysis done of
a sample of the dirt from the dump site by an independent
nationally accredited laboratory to determine the nature of
the substance. The results revealed high concentrations of
chlorine and hydrochloric acid, which are products of the
decomposition of silicon tetrachloride [8]. When confronted
with the test results, Wang Hailong, the secretary of the
board of directors for Luoyang Zhonggui accused the
villagers of lying about the dumping, which he said was not
possible [8]. Ms. Cha’s article reveals the serious impact of
indiscriminately dumping silicon tetrachloride on the
environment and the deleterious effects on the health of the
villagers who live next to the Luoyang Zhonggui factory.
Her story illustrates how the manner in which a company
conducts its operations dramatically affects the community
around it. The production issue I have discovered in
developing an environmental management system for
Sunversion is similar to that in the report of The Washington
Post. Sunversion does not recycle its silicon tetrachloride.
Instead it is being shipped by truck to a remote area of
Nevada and then being dumped on privately owned property
which does not have a permit from the Environmental
Protection Agency to operate as a hazardous waste facility.
Upon learning of this illegal dumping, I realized that this
practice would jeopardize our ability to attain ISO14001
certification. I scheduled a meeting with my manager, Dale
Edwards, to update him on my progress on creating the EMS
and the issue of the improper disposal of the silicon
tetrachloride. During the meeting Mr. Edwards stated he
was aware of the company’s policy of waste disposal of the
silicon tetrachloride and that it is a “non-issue” because it is
“routine procedure” for the parent company in China. He
advised me to continue my work on the EMS focusing on
operations within the plant and reiterated that upper
management would like ISO14001 certification by the end
of the year. Mr. Edwards said that if the deadline was met I
would receive a five thousand dollar bonus and be seriously
considered for a promotion to management within the
company.
Now I am faced with an ethical dilemma. Do I follow
my manager’s instructions and not disclose the illegal
dumping during the ISO14001 certification process so I can
earn the bonus and receive the promotion? Should I become
a “whistleblower” by exposing Sunversion’s silicon
tetrachloride waste procedures to the state and federal
authorities and face job termination? Or, should I present
alternate methods of dealing with residual silicon
tetrachloride that are legally and ethically correct, with the
intention of persuading management to change their waste
disposal procedure? To help me decide the best course of
action, I feel that it would be helpful to consult codes of
engineering ethics, analyze case studies in engineering
ethics, and examine sources regarding conflict resolution in
the workplace that are relevant to my situation.
APPLYING ENGINEERNG CODES OF
ETHICS AND CASE STUDES OF
ENGINEERNG ETHICS TO
ENVIRONMENTALY-RELATED ISSUES
Denial Added To Deception Equals Disaster
In order to gain further insight and decide upon the best
solution to resolve my ethical dilemma, I will explore each
of the three options proposed and then will select the one
that is not only the most ethical but ensures the best outcome
for myself, my company, and the public. If I concede to my
manager’s request and do not mention the company’s illegal
disposal of the silicon tetrachloride while preparing for
ISO14001 certification, I will be rewarded with a bonus and
possible promotion. Several professional codes of ethics
address this situation. Under Section II, Rules of Practice, of
the “Code of Ethics” of the National Society of Professional
Engineers, it is written, “Engineers shall hold paramount the
safety, health, and welfare of the public” [9]. I know the
dangers of the exposure of silicon tetrachloride to humans
and the environment; I cannot maintain my professional
integrity and be deceptive about Sunversion’s waste disposal
methods because of the knowledge that people and the
environment will be harmed. Additionally, listed under
Section III, Professional Obligations of the “Code of Ethics”
it states, “Engineers shall at all times strive to serve the
public interest” [9]. This cannon emphasizes the duty of an
engineer to always consider how his actions affect the public
and that an engineer’s obligation to the public should take
precedence over factors such as the economic priority of
cost-cutting in business. Mr. Edward’s offer of a bonus and
promotion is essentially a bribe to secure my silence. Also
applicable to this particular situation is the Fourth code of
the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers which
concisely mandates, “To reject bribery in all its forms” [10].
This code refers to bribery within as well as outside the work
place.
What would be the consequences if I did not report my
company’s illegal procedures? The engineering case study
“Waste Disposal,” from the Texas A&M University Civil
Engineering Ethics Website, explores the ramifications
occurring when an engineer does not report his company’s
improper storage of chemical waste [11]. In this case study
Scott Lewis is an engineer inspecting a warehouse at an offsite location where his company is storing chemical waste.
He discovers several drums leaking the hazardous chemical.
He notifies the director of his company’s Division of
Chemical Waste of his findings. The director comes to the
warehouse and transports the drums back to the company
fearing that the owners of the warehouse are not properly
storing the waste. Scott reminds the director that it is illegal
to transport the waste back to the company and that the
company would be cited for this violation by the
Environmental Protection Agency. The director tells Scott
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they are saving the company money by handling the
situation themselves. Scott does not report this incident to
his supervisor. Several years later, while employed at a new
company, Scott learns that his former company has been
named in a class-action lawsuit by citizens who live near the
company claiming that the company dumped waste materials
onsite and contaminated the groundwater.
Shortly
thereafter, Scott receives a summons to appear in court to
give testimony in the case [11]. The case study “Waste
Disposal” is a good example of the long-term consequences
which can occur when legal and ethical codes are not
followed. Because Scott and the director ignored the law,
the community’s groundwater, an important natural
resource, became contaminated. Even though Scott no
longer works for the company he is still being held
accountable for his past actions. Taking into consideration
the aforementioned codes of ethics and the case study
“Waste Disposal,” it is clearly evident that the nondisclosure of my company’s illegal dumping of the silicon
tetrachloride violates the codes. As a result the public could
become ill from exposure to the chemical, the environment
would become polluted, and Sunversion would be subject to
costly litigation which could lead to bankruptcy and
unemployment for its workers. In a court of law I would
have to admit culpability, because I was aware of the illegal
dumping and did nothing to prevent it. My reputation and
credibility as an engineer would be destroyed.
Whistleblowing: The Point of No Return
Since my manager informed me that Sunversion’s
disposal of silicon tetrachloride on private property out of
state is “routine procedure” and a “non-issue” it seems
plausible that the parent company in China would not be
amenable to changing their stance and ship the waste to a
hazardous waste facility which is licensed to accept the
silicon tetrachloride. If I took no action, I would be in
violation of another code listed in the “Code of Ethics” of
the National Society of Professional Engineers, Section III,
Professional Obligations, which states, “Engineers shall
avoid all conduct or practice that deceives the public” [9].
Therefore, I have no other recourse but to become a
“whistleblower” and notify the Environmental Protection
Agency about the mishandling of the chemical waste.
However, once I reveal my company’s illegal activities, I
will be terminated from my job. Whistleblowing is a drastic,
final step and requires attempting every possibility to rectify
the situation before this decision is made. A unique
perspective on whistleblowing is given by authors Michael
Pritchard and Mark Holtzapple in their article, “Responsible
Engineering: Gilbane Gold Revisited” [12]. Gilbane Gold
is a video produced by the National Society of Engineers
which tells the story of a young environmental engineer,
David Jackson, who discovers that his employer, Z-Corp, is
discharging higher concentrations of lead and arsenic into
their wastewater than is permitted by local regulations [12].
The matter becomes more complex because Gilbane, which
is the name of the town where Z-Corp is located, uses the
sludge from the wastewater to make an agricultural fertilizer
called “Gilbane Gold” which gives Gilbane significant
revenue. Mr. Jackson notifies his superiors of his findings,
but they are unwilling to act upon them unless the city’s
wastewater treatment plant forces them to. Feeling it is his
moral duty to protect the public, he becomes a
whistleblower. Mr. Pritchard and Mr. Holtzapple assert in
their article that David Jackson should have taken a
proactive approach to avoid resorting to whistleblowing by
“applying engineering creativity and analysis to solve the
problems posed in Gilbane Gold” to find “a less polluting
and less costly solution” [12]. They also charge engineers to
use “responsible engineering practices to avoid the
emergence of a crisis” [12]. As engineers we are problem
solvers first and foremost, and to avoid drastic measures like
whistleblowing it is essential to identify problems early and
work on a solution before the problems become complex and
unmanageable.
Engineering a Solution
Identifying problems and formulating solutions are the
basis for my third option in dealing with my ethical
dilemma. In a hypothetical case study by William Frey, a
chemical engineering student is participating in a co-op
program by working at a manufacturing firm. The firm has
always used a compound called “Chemical A” as a catalyst
in its production process; however, new research has
confirmed that “Chemical A” causes cancer. This poses a
serious health risk for the workers at the firm. The student is
aware that there is another chemical available called
“Chemical B” that can be substituted for “Chemical A” and
does not cause cancer. The drawback is that “Chemical B”
is much more expensive than “Chemical A.” During the
next engineering meeting the student presents this
information to the engineering manager and the other
engineers and recommends that the company use “Chemical
B.” Unfortunately, the engineering manager rejects the
engineering student’s proposal, claiming that the company
has had no documented safety issues with “Chemical A” so
it will continue to be used [13]. The engineering student and
I share a similar experience; we have both identified a
problem and prepared a solution. Likewise, my proposal
may also be rejected, but acting as a responsible and ethical
engineer I must convince my superiors at Sunversion that
there are other ways to safely dispose of and or recycle the
silicon tetrachloride than dumping it illegally.
To
accomplish this I will provide detailed research on how other
companies in the industry treat their waste silicon
tetrachloride, including transporting to approved waste
facilities, investing in recycling equipment, and selling the
excess silicon tetrachloride to the fiber optics manufacturers.
In my report I will include a cost analysis and discuss the
economic and environmental advantages and disadvantages
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for each alternative. I will also emphasize that the use of
these methods will enhance our ability to achieve ISO14001
certification and ultimately secure possible grant money
from the SunShot Initiative to expand our operations.
The quality of information I present is important, but so
is the manner in which it is presented. The article,
“Resolving Conflict With Your Boss” offers several
guidelines which I believe are useful in communicating my
ideas to upper management. They are as follows: “be
careful not to accuse or blame while discussing an issue,
focus on the issue itself and not your personal feelings, and
listen to your manager’s response and attempt to see the
situation from his or her perspective” [14]. Hopefully by
presenting accurate, factual information with a professional
demeanor and using the preceding guidelines, I will be able
to persuade Sunversion to alter its policy regarding the
disposal of silicon tetrachloride.
Lessons Learned From the Ethical Decision
Process
After reviewing the three different courses of action I
developed to resolve my ethical dilemma, I feel that
identifying the issue and offering a solution would provide
the best outcome to all parties involved. If Sunversion
accepts and implements one of my plans, the environment
will be protected and the public will not be exposed to a
dangerous chemical. Sunversion will meet the ISO14001
criteria and achieve certification, demonstrating its
commitment to environmentally safe practices and its
worthiness of consideration for financial support from the
SunShot Initiative. The funding from the government will
allow the company to enhance its research and development
department to create solar panels that have a minimal carbon
footprint and are more efficient, while also expand its
operations at the plant. To deny or conceal a potentially
dangerous problem would only make it more difficult to
solve in the future. The act of “whistleblowing” must be
undertaken only after all attempts at problem resolution have
been exhausted, because the whistleblower must be prepared
to sacrifice his job even though he may be ethically correct.
When contemplating an ethical dilemma it is helpful to
consult the ethical codes of professional engineering
organizations, which offer clear guidelines for maintaining
professional standards and integrity. The analysis of ethical
case studies in engineering provides information applicable
to an engineer’s particular situation and also includes
strategies which were successful. Finally, the best advice I
would give to other engineers facing any ethical problem
would be that from Michael Pritchard and Mark Holtzapple,
to prevent its occurrence in the first place by “practicing
responsible engineering, identifying problems early and
using engineering creativity and analysis to solve the
problem.”
[1] B. Wolfgang. (2015, September 16). “Obama Announces
New Round of Taxpayer Money for Solar Power Projects.”
The
Washington
Times.
(Online
article).
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/sep/16/obamaannounces-new-round-taxpayer-money-solar-pow/print/
[2] E. Hardee, S. Ireland, S. Moshofsky, et al. (2013).
“Million Monarchs Solar Company Assessment Scorecard.”
Portland
State
University.
(Online
article).
http://www.solaroregon.org/SolarNow/shu-2014presentations/million-monarchs-final-report-sean-patrick
[3] “Environmental Management System/ISO14001Frequently Asked Questions.” (2012, March 6). United
States Environmental Protection Agency. (Online article).
http://water.epa.gov/polwaste/wastewater/EnvironmentalManagement-System-ISO-14001-Frequently-AskedQuestions.cfm
[4] D. Mulvaney. (2014, August 26). “Solar Energy Isn’t
Always as Green as You Think.” IEEE Spectrum. (Online
article).
http://spectrum.ieee.org/green-tech/solar/solarenergy-isnt-always-as-green-as-you-think
[5] “Fact Sheet: Silicon Tetrachloride.” (2009, November
30).
Hemlock
Semiconductor.
(Online
article).
http://wwwhscpoly.com/content/hsc_com/silicontetrachlorid
e_FS_110109.pdf
[6] J. Dearen. (2013, February 10). “Solar Panel Makers
Continue to Ship Tons of Toxic Waste Thousands of Miles
Away.”
Business
Insider.
(Online
article).
http://www.businessinsider.com/solar-panel-makersgrappling-with-waste-2013-2
[7] U. Hasim, A. Ehsan, and I. Ahmad. (2006, November
13). “High Purity Polycrystalline Silicon Growth and
Characterization.” Chiang Mai Journal of Science. (Online
article).
http://it.science.cmu.ac.th/ejournal/journalDetail.php?journal
_id=432
[8] A. Cha. (2008, March 9). “Solar Energy Firms Leave
Waste Behind in China.” The Washington Post. (Online
article).
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpdyn/content/article/2008/03/08/AR2008030802595_pf.html
[9] “NSPE Code of Ethics for Engineers.” (2007). National
Society of Professional Engineers. (Online article).
http://www.nspe.org/resources/ethics/code-ethics
[10] “Approved IEEE Code of Ethics.” (2014). IEEE-The
Institute.
(Online
article).
http://theinstitute.ieee.org/briefings/business/approved-ieeecode-of-ethics
[11] M. Pritchard, editor. (1992). “Waste Disposal.” Texas
A&M University Department of Civil Engineering. (Online
article).
http://www.ethics.tamu.edu/Portals/3/1992Cases/Environme
ntalSafety/ethics.tamu.edu_pritchar_waste.pdf
[12] M. Pritchard and M. Holtzapple. (1997). “Responsible
Engineering: Gilbane Gold Revisited.” Science and
Engineering Ethics. (Online article). DOI: 10.1007/s11948997-0011-9. pp.217-230
REFERENCES
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[13] W. Frey. (2010, January 19). “Chemical A or B?”
Online Center for Engineering and Science. (Online article).
http://www.onlineethics.org/Resources/Cases/ChemAorB.as
px?layoutChange=Print
[14] “Resolving Conflict With Your Boss.” (2015, October
21).
Achieve
Solutions.
(Online
article).
https://www.achievesolutions/en/Content.do?contentld=389
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I would like to thank the University of Pittsburgh Library
System for being a valuable resource for information on this
paper. I also want to express my appreciation for the efforts
of all engineers who act in a responsible, ethical manner
every day to solve problems and improve people’s lives.
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