Vidic 2:00
R08
Ethics Meets Religious and Cultural Differences
Brittany Irwin (bni1@pitt.edu)
PREFACE
As an engineer working for a gas line company, I am
faced with the ethical dilemma regarding replacing pipes in a
foreign country from point A to point B with the least amount
of funds possible. The pipes I need to replace are already
running through an ancient burial ground which has locals
native to the area outraged already. However, replacing the
pipes with the method of pipe bursting is ideal it is a shorter
route as well as a cheaper method to replace pipes. However
I have been getting pushes from the public to not disturb the
sacred area further and instead of replacing those pipes to
create a new line on an alternative route. This route would be
longer as well as having to start from scratch. As the lead
engineer on the project, it is my decision as to which route the
company and I should go with. Due to the high stakes of both
the company and the group that claims the burial ground as
their own, I am greatly torn and am going to research burial
grounds, precedents of this situation, as well as multiple code
of ethics for my field.
BURIAL GROUNDS
Although I am currently operating in a foreign
country, as an American citizen I decided that it would be
beneficial to take a look and see what laws or precedents the
American government has set forth about an issue such as
this. The Native American Graves Protection and
Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) defines a “burial site” as “any
natural or prepared physical location, whether originally
below, on, or above the surface of the earth, into which as a
part of the death rite or ceremony of a culture, individual
human remains are deposited” [1]. These sites are often
unmarked causing developers to be unaware of their presence
before they are already disturbed. The proper thing to do is
give the remains back to those of that heritage in order for
them to have a reburial which is a very spiritual process of
returning the bodies back to the earth [2]. Ancient burial
grounds are usually left unmarked, so when discovered it is
already too late to preserve the site. “The Native American
Graves Protection and Repatriation Act imposes an obligation
on federal agencies or museums to inventory the human
remains and the sacred objects in their possession and to
disclose the results so that Native people can” reclaim them
[2]. However, this process can work against those who are
trying to reclaim their ancestors’ bodies because they are not
“culturally identifiable” and are not qualified for repatriation.
These remains are then left to be put on display in places such
as offices, university classrooms, and museums such as the
Smithsonian. These remains are disrespectful to the owners of
the bodies as well as those of that heritage [2].
University of Pittsburgh, Swanson School of Engineering 1
2014-10-28
In Oxford, Alabama, plans had been approved to
build a Sam’s Club over the ground of a 1,500 year old Native
American ceremonial mound. The University of Alabama and
the Oxford Mayor Leon Smith had different perspectives of
the site. The University of Alabama’s archaeology report that
was commissioned by the city stated that “the site was
historically significant as the largest of several ancient stone
and earthen mounds throughout the Choccolocco Valley” [3].
However, the Mayor, whose campaign was financially tied to
the project, claimed that it was “not man-made and was used
only to ‘send smoke signals’” [3]. Despite both of these
claims, the site is also very important to the local Native
Americans in the area because they performed various rituals
and ceremonies on this specific site and despite protests from
the community, the Sam’s Club was still built even though
that site may have been a sacred spot for the local Native
Americans where funerals and other ceremonies may have
occurred.
Concluding the research of precedents of situations
that have happened in America as well as the laws set forth
regarding the humanity of situation and how to move forward,
I have not come to a clear solution to the issue of whether or
not to replace the pipes already placed in the burial ground or
to start anew on an alternative route. The main issue I am
concerned about with replacing the pipes already built on the
site is the debris left with the method of pipe bursting.
PIPE BURSTING
Pipe bursting is a method of replacing already
existing pipes by applying a force with new and larger pipe.
This method was originally “created to replace small diameter
cast iron distribution lines,” but now is a widely accepted
method to replace many different types of pipes with pipes
that are plastic or specially coated to prevent leaking. Pipe
bursting can be done to replace many different types of pipe
materials such as cast iron, vitrified clay, and even concrete
pipe [4]. Rather than having to dig traditional trenches to
replace underground pipes, pipe bursting offers a simpler
alternative. This method entails using small-scaled trench
referred to as a pit that is dug on both sides of the length of
the pipe that is being replaced. The first pit is used as an
insertion pit where the replacement pipe is inserted into the
already existing pipe with an attachment called the bursting
head used to easily break the old pipe. The bursting head is
pulled through the existing pipe and pulled through the
opposite pit which is referred to as the reception pit [5]. This
method of trenchless replacing of pipes saves time and money
by not having to dig up roads, driveways, or yards in order to
build trenches just to replace one pipe. However, debris is left
behind with this method of replacing old pipes and for an
Brittany Irwin
ancient burial ground I personally feel uncomfortable leaving
behind man-made leftover sediment that pollutes the soil with
materials not native to the area.
companies, and not shame the name of engineering because
of their own interests [7].
Another canon in the NSPE Code of Ethics states
that “[e]ngineers shall at all times strive to serve the public
interest” [7]. If I decide to dissect this canon by itself, I could
conclude to listen to the protests of the local natives here and
go around the burial ground instead of harming the sacred area
further. However, the code listed under this canon does not
list anything such as listening to what the public actually
wants. Instead, the NSPE lists that I am supposed to
“participate in civic affairs; career guidance for youths; and
work for the advancement of the safety, well-being of their
community” [7], not sign on to projects that break the Code
of Ethics, increase the public knowledge of engineering, and
protect the environment [7].
The canon that states “[e]ngineers shall not be
influenced in their professional duties by conflicting
interests” [7] would also be a great one for me to apply to my
specific situation. If I had only read that part of the canon, I
would simply just replace the old pipe that already runs
through the old burial ground despite protests from the locals.
However, the two statements listed under this specific canon
explain further that the “influence” mentioned is a monetary
influence and not the opinions of the public [7]. Because I
have not been offered money from the locals protesting the
pipe bursting project, I feel as if this canon does not apply to
my current situation and should be disregarded. The
American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) published their
own Code of Ethics which covers less than NSPE’s Code of
Ethics. Their fundamental canons mostly sum up or restate the
canons of NSPE’s Code of Ethics [8].
PAIRING WITH GEOSPATIAL DATA FOR
FUTURE ACCURACY
Geospatial data paired with pipe bursting is an
innovative combination that will change the game of
underground infrastructure. Geospatial data is an interactive
map that displays everything from pipes to wires in the
ground on a display of the earth. It can simply be described as
a Google Earth for everything underground. It is used mostly
as a database for many diverse companies that is constantly
being updated. This data is valuable because it saves time and
money on projects that replace pipes, make changes
underground, or try to pinpoint a certain pipeline because of
its accuracy and detail. Geospatial data is paving the way to
making not only pipe bursting but any kind of repair work for
underground infrastructure possible [6]. This kind of
innovation and technology helps us understand precisely
where the old pipe is to minimize the disturbance to the burial
ground so there is little damage to the soil other than the
leftover sediment due to the old pipe bursting.
There are four stages of planning that pipe bursting
requires, the first of which is pre-site planning. Pre-site
planning is very important, especially for replacing pipes
along main roads. This particular stage has great potential for
use with geospatial data because engineers have to calculate
where the pipe is going to be and where it is most efficient to
dig the trench. With detailed data becoming readily available
engineers can have the knowledge of where a pipe is within
as much as fifty centimeters. With these detailed
measurements, companies can save time and money by
digging up smaller trenches. Geospatial data also prevents
damaging pipes that were initially unknown to the engineers
before beginning to dig a trench [6].
CASE STUDIES
Engineers Without Borders (EWB) is an
organization that works on “the premise that large social
impacts can come from small investments and ongoing
diligence” [9] and they work in developing countries such as
building a health clinic in Peru, an electrical grid for lights,
computers, and internet for a school in Haiti, as well as a stove
in Bolivia to reduce air pollution and use of wood [9]. This
organization also trains the locals in order for these projects
to remain successful even after the engineers finish and leave.
The issue with this that applies to my situation is bringing new
technology and innovation to the area requires compatibility
between the innovation and the local community. If the
community does not embrace the company I work for, it has
the potential to cause protests and problems that could cost
money as well as time on the project [9].
Case 1041 from Texas Tech University explains a
situation with dealing with locals who are not eligible to work
on a project work anyways. The engineer on the project must
come to a conclusion on how to resolve the issue of the illegal
workers because he is worried that they will be injured while
working and because they are not covered by insurance due
CODE OF ETHICS
The code of ethics from the National Society of
Professional Engineers (NSPE) was my next place to look for
guidance on this ethical dilemma. After reading through the
canons, rules of practice, as well as the professional
obligations, I began to realize that the code never once
mentions a respect for religious or cultural differences. The
Code of Ethics mentions that “[e]ngineers shall be guided in
all their relations by the highest standards of honesty and
integrity,” however the canons listed underneath surprise me
because they do not mention honesty and integrity with how
they handle cultural or religious differences or even in how
they handle the public. Instead, they talk about how engineers
need to address their errors and stick to the facts, admit to their
clients when a project will not work, not accept other jobs
outside of their specific field, steal engineers from other
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Brittany Irwin
to their ineligibility to work, it will cause them many
problems for themselves as well as their families at home.
Carlos, the engineer, has to decide how to move forward with
the situation once he was given an ultimatum from his boss to
either walk away from the project or to work with the illegal
workers. The Code of Ethics clearly states to be loyal to your
employer, however it is truly unsettling to carry around the
weight of worrying about the safety and wellbeing of these
people. I believe this case study is very helpful to my situation
because it shows that sometimes the employer is wrong and
there is no clear answer to every problem. This case study in
particular shows that engineers have social responsibilities to
care for the people we work with as well as the people that
our work affects [10].
After taking in all of the information I gathered from
numerous sources, I greatly appreciate all the information that
was available for processing along with my ethical dilemma.
Great examples such as the article written by those of Native
American heritage on the NAGPRA and understanding their
opinions as they explain how it feels to go into a classroom or
museum and have to witness what very well could be one of
their ancestors on display or NSPE’s Code of Ethics for
Engineers’ explanation of what is so very clearly right or very
wrong is exactly what was needed to come to an idea on how
to proceed forward with this dilemma. I have come to the
conclusion that this is not a decision for the lead engineer to
make. However this is an issue that should be brought up to
my supervisor and the board of the company I am currently
working for. I will present the facts of the situation, but I think
it is also fair to bring in a few of the leading members of the
community we are building on to listen to their opinions and
answer questions so that we are all on the same page and
possibly come up with a decision as a group instead of leaving
it to one person.
http://www.southernstudies.org/2009/08/alabama-citydestroying-ancient-indian-mound-for-sams-club.html
[4] S. Ariaratnam, J. Lueke, J. Michael. (2014). “Current
trends in pipe bursting for renewal of underground
infrastructure systems in North America.” Tunnelling and
Underground Space Technology. (online article).
www.elsevier.com/locate/tust
[5] “Trenchless Pipe Bursting.” Trenchless Sewer Repair.
(2012).
(video).
http://www.trenchless-sewerrepair.net/pipe_bursting.php#
[6] G. Schall, S.Zollmann, G. Reitmayr. (2012). “Smart
Vidente: advances in mobile augmented reality for interactive
visualization of underground infrastructure.” Pers Ubiquit
Comput.
(online
article).
http://web.a.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail/detail?vid=9&sid=0f
356894-fedb-4c8a-8994bfbc2a70358a%40sessionmgr4002&hid=4204&bdata=JnNp
dGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=aph&AN=90428197
[7] National Society of Professional Engineers. (2007). “Code
of Ethics for Engineers.” National Society of Professional
Engineers.
(online
article).
http://www.nspe.org/sites/default/files/resources/pdfs/Ethics/
CodeofEthics/Code-2007-July.pdf
[8] American Society of Civil Engineers. (2009). “Code of
Ethics.” American Society of Civil Engineers. (online article).
http://www.asce.org/uploadedFiles/Ethics__New/Code%20of%20Ethics%20October%202010.pdf
[9] Online Ethics Center for Engineering. (2013). “Engineers
Without Borders (EWB).” National Academy of Engineering.
(online
article).
http://www.onlineethics.org/Resources/Cases/EWB.aspx
[10] G. Palau-Salvador, A. Luis, W. Lawson. (2014).
“Engineering Ethics in Spain: The Risky Tank.” National
Institute for Engineering Ethics. (online article).
http://www.depts.ttu.edu/murdoughcenter/products/cases.ph
p
REFERENCES
ADDITIONAL SOURCES
CONCLUSION
D. Irwin Sr. (2014, October 21). Interview
E. Dupont. (2014, October 23). Interview
[1] Public Law 101-601. (1990). “Native American Graves
Protection and Repatriation Act.” Federal Historic
Preservation
Laws.
http://www.cr.nps.gov/locallaw/FHPL_NAGPRA.pdf
[2] W. Echo-Hawk, S. Harjo, J. Riding In, et al. (2004).
“Protecting Native American Human Remains, Burial
Grounds, and Sacred Places.” Wicazo Sa Review. (online
article).
http://web.a.ebscohost.com/ehost/command/detail?sid=6b7b
2844-e8cd-443a-94cdb8358584d6c5%40sessionmgr4003&vid=4&hid=4106
[3] S. Sturgis. (2009). “Alabama city destroying ancient
Indian mound for Sam’s Club.” The Institute for Southern
Studies.
(online
article).
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I would like to thank Ms. Ferda for coming to my
engineering class and explaining this assignment and making
it very clear on how to write it. I would also like to thank
Andrew Fishman from the Writing Center for helping me
form my train of thought for this assignment. Lastly, I would
like to thank Sydney Shepherd for motivating me to get this
paper done.
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