Bursic 2:00
R07
Ethics in Environmental Engineering
Julie Shields (jls359@pitt.edu)
INTRODUCTION
Over the past several decades in the environmental
engineering field, more and more attention has been brought
upon the world’s clean water epidemic. The inability to
access clean usable water is an issue that effects one and every
six people around the world, many of which are citizens of
developing countries [1]. Because third world countries have
a less powerful economy than other nations, they are limited
on how they can resolve such an important issue. This costlimiting factor has promoted engineers and scientists to find
cheaper practices of remediating water supplies, such as
biostimulation and bioaugmentation technologies. When
used together, these bioremediation technologies motivate
engineered as well as indigenous microorganisms in the water
to remediate the pollutants around them [1]. As an
Environmental Engineer who is very interested in costeffective and efficient methods of improving global health, I
find it truly fulfilling to work in a field that capitalizes on this
technology. However, the technical and professional aspects
of bioremediation used in third world nations contain
drawbacks that spur ethical debates. For example, what is an
appropriate price an engineering company should charge a
struggling city or nation for its work? What does an engineer
do if both deceptive business acts and environmental shifts
affect the technologies and put the public safety at risk?
Ethical debates often arise in the field of engineering, and
there is generally never one definite answer to them.
However, through researching codes, cases, and articles on
ethical issues as well as consulting those who taught me
morals and the importance of ethics, making these decisions
can become less daunting.
THE SCENARIO
I am an Environmental Engineer with a company
called Global Improvements Inc. I have been assigned to
travel to Santa Cruz, Guatemala, which has a population of
90,000, to provide the city with clean usable water. The
company I work for focuses on using bioremediation
practices to purify contaminated water all over the world.
Therefore, for the last five years of working with this
company, I have become very skilled and knowledgeable with
using
the
technologies
of
biostimulation
and
bioaugmentation.
University of Pittsburgh, Swanson School of Engineering 1
2014-10-28
When I arrive at the sight of Santa Cruz’s main water
supply on May 15, 2025 with five of my co-workers, we
immediately begin assessing the costs and projections for
making the water clean and usable. After a month of thorough
tests and studies, we find that the water is heavily
contaminated with nitrobenzene, which is a common
component of pesticides and herbicides. We also discover the
water has extremely high concentrations of heavy metals.
Because of the various types of microorganisms needed to
remediate the water, specifically Pseudomonas, Bacillus, and
Rhizopus, the stimulants required, such as peptone, glucose,
and phosphorus, the severity of the contamination, and the
location and size of the water supply, we project the cost of
our project to be approximately $250,000. The above
limitations cause the costs of equipment, scientific
monitoring, construction, startup, and site-specific elements
to raise the overall cost of the project. Unfortunately, my coworkers and I suspect the city of Santa Cruz would not be able
to afford the cost of this venture because of its weak economic
condition. However, after thoroughly discussing the issue of
price, we believe the price can be brought down by $75,000
if the environmental conditions are extremely favorable.
When environmental conditions are perfect, then the
combined processes of biostimulation and bioaugmentation
are more efficient resulting in a quicker water treatment. In
this specific case, the faster the project is completed the less
the project costs.
The night before the meeting with the mayor of
Santa Cruz and the director of municipalities to discuss the
terms of the project’s contract, my co-workers and I hold a
webinar with the president of our company. Our president,
Mr. Robert Robertson, distinctly emphasizes the importance
of securing this job with the city of Santa Cruz. He reminds
us that completing this project successfully would
exponentially improve our company’s reputation in regards to
cost-effective practices and humanitarian efforts. When we
address to him the pressing issue of price, he has little to say
except, “No matter what, make sure the contract gets signed.”
After the webinar ends, my co-worker and the manager of this
particular project, James Smith, assures me that Global
Improvements Inc. will secure the deal after tomorrow
morning’s meeting. He further explains that he plans to
establish the budget at $175,000 as well as make a loophole
in the contract that requires the city to pay $75,000 worth of
Julie Shields
extra expenditures over the budget if environmental
conditions are not ideal. He believes this proposition will not
only result in a deal with the Santa Cruz officials but also give
Global Improvements Inc. financial breathing room if
environmental elements are not favorable. I am quite
unsettled by his idea and find many of his goals unethical. Is
it morally wrong to take advantage of an already struggling
city? Could potentially charging the city more than its
citizens can afford negatively affect the public? Since I am
not the manager of the project, do I have any control over the
deceptive business practices my company and co-workers
partake in?
to be extremely useful in aiding me towards making a decision
for my dilemma. The directives of Canon 3 state, “Engineers
shall be objective and truthful in professional reports,
statements, and testimonies” [2]. This means my co-worker,
James Smith, clearly violated the code of ethics by reporting
a false estimated budget to the city officials of Santa Cruz. If
my company exceeds the given budget, which is a probable
outcome since the environment is unpredictable, then we
could endanger the welfare of the city’s citizens by
economically hurting them. The potential of hindering the
public also violates Canon 1 of the code, which states the
importance of engineers making the public’s health, safety,
and welfare a priority [2]. The code further says, “Engineers
having knowledge of any alleged violation of this code shall
report thereon to appropriate professional bodies” [2]. This
directive is particularly useful in making an ethical decision,
because it dissuades me from being passive about the
situation.
I then analyze the ASCE code of ethics because Civil and
Environmental Engineers work closely together and follow
many of the same specific codes. The ASCE encourages all
members “to be honest and realistic in stating claims or
estimates based on available data” [3]. The code also
specifically states in Canon 6.a. that engineers should not
knowingly engage in “business or professional practices of a
fraudulent, dishonest or unethical nature” [3].
After
pondering this canon, I discover that not only did James Smith
violate the code of ethics, but I would be as well if I ignored
the situation and allowed the city officials to go unaware of
the false estimate.
Although the ethical codes suggest that my co-worker
and potentially I have violated canons and directives, they do
not explain what I should exactly do to resolve the issue.
Therefore, I review case studies as well as resources on ethics
that involve the same types of ethical dilemmas.
That next morning during the meeting with the
mayor and the director of municipalities of Santa Cruz, I hope
that James will truthfully inform them about the estimated
cost of our project. However, he releases false information
about the price of the assignment in order to get the mayor
and the director’s approval. With a cost of $175,000 and little
understanding of the contract’s section that requires the city
of Santa Cruz to pay up to $75,000 over the budget if needed,
the city officials agree to the deal. The contract is soon sent
off to be processed and will be officially completed in two
weeks if there are no interruptions.
After the meeting I feel very disturbed by my coworker’s deceptive actions. Although, it is possible that our
company can bring the cost down to what he projected in the
meeting, there is a very large chance it will be impossible. Is
it unethical for engineers to distort or omit facts; however,
where is it my place to determine if my manager’s actions are
ethical or not? How will the city be affected if we go over
budget and cost the citizens money they can’t afford to lose?
What am I to do when my manager conducts dishonest
business tactics?
CODE OF ETHICS
CASE STUDY
Whenever faced with an ethical dilemma, it is imperative
to review the code of ethics in order to comprehend how an
engineer should conduct himself or herself both
professionally and honorably. These guidelines are extremely
useful when making an ethical decision, because they
eliminate any uncertainty when contemplating if an act is
morally questionable. In regards to my ethical quandary of
how to handle my co-worker falsifying the cost of our water
treatment project, which could potentially result in the city of
Santa Cruz becoming more economically ruined, I analyze the
National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) and the
American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) codes of ethics.
After reviewing the general code of ethics for all
engineers on the NSPE website, I find Canon 1 and Canon 3
The first case I find useful was created by the National
Institute of Engineering Ethics, case number 1010, entitled
“What’s the Angle?” [4]. In this hypothetical case, an
engineer, Julie Adams, is asked by one of her largest clients
to do a structural survey on a building that is about to be sold
for a large amount of money [4]. She assigns her most
experienced structural engineer, Brock Williams, to do the
report for her client [4]. After Brock thoroughly reviews the
building, he finds that the window casements are extremely
corroded, even though he was not required to observe them in
the survey [4]. However, if the casements go unfixed they
could collapse and kill hundreds of people. When Brock
contacts Julie about the issue, she immediately informs her
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Julie Shields
client, who in turn ignores the problem since the casements
are not required in the structural survey [4]. Her client
informs her he fully plans on holding the meeting to sign the
contract the next day and will not need any information on the
deteriorated window casements [4]. Julie does not know if
she should press the issue further and warn the potential
owners of the building’s corrosion because lives could be
jeopardized or disregard the problem since she is only
required to give a report on certain structural elements, and
the casements are not one of them [4].
To determine Julie’s course of action, alternate
approaches were released in the form of an electronic survey,
and practicing engineers as well as engineering students voted
on what they believed was the best ethical decision. The
results show that 78% of participants in the survey believe
Julie needs to further address the issue in some way [4]. 46%
of the answers state Julie should approach her client again
with a report that recommends he postpone the meeting and
close off the sidewalk adjacent to the window casements until
the corrosion is fixed [4]. Although this particular approach
may hinder her relations with her client, the vast majority of
engineers and engineering students believe it is Julie’s ethical
duty to protect the public [4]. The remaining 32% believe
Julie should immediately consult with her attorney to
ascertain her 'legal' position concerning the release of
information to persons other than her client, specifically the
potential owners of the building [4].
Due to the similarities between this case and my dilemma
as well as the results of the case’s survey, I find this source as
a useful guide toward my course of action. In both situations
a contract is about to be signed that involves the exclusion or
false witness of crucial information. Another similarity is the
consequences that can result if nothing is done about either
situation. For example if Julie in “What’s the Angle” doesn’t
further press the issue of the corroded window casements then
the public’s safety is at risk. In my predicament, if I do not
make known to the city officials or other appropriate
professionals of the altered estimate, then the city of Santa
Cruz can potentially become more economically distraught,
which hinders the welfare of its citizens.
After reviewing the results of the case’s survey, I relate
how the course of action engineers believe Julie should take
can reflect my own ethical decision in my dilemma. For
example, this case opens my eyes to the importance of
following the code of ethics and making the public’s health,
safety, and welfare a priority despite business relations.
Therefore it will be unethical for me to let the false estimate
go ignored and not further address the issue, since the public
welfare’s at stake. Because 32% of the survey results believe
Julie should contact her lawyer on the legalities of her position
in her situation, I now realize the importance of going about
my dilemma in a legal manner [4]. For example, I can not go
about informing the city officials and questioning the
decisions of my manager in an illegal way or my job will be
terminated and nothing will be resolved. Although, the case
results do not provide a definite solution to the ethical crisis,
the results give me a more structured guideline on what my
course of action should be.
ARTICLES ON ETHICS
Along with analyzing cases and possible outcomes, I find
researching online articles about the importance of ethics in
engineering to be quite useful in my search for the best ethical
decision. When faced with my dilemma, I know that not
taking action towards my co-worker’s deceptive acts can
result in an economic endangerment of Santa Cruz; however,
it also occurs to me that ignoring the issue will classify me as
dishonorable and ultimately a bad engineer. The article “The
Good Engineer: Giving Virtue its Due in Engineering Ethics,”
written by Charles E. Harris Jr., emphasizes the importance
of “good” engineers having a “commitment to not only the
public good but also a commitment to professional integrity”
[5]. The article further addresses that because the engineering
field impacts billions of people around the world, it is
imperative that engineers be both “technologically and
morally knowledgeable” [5].
With these specific
classifications of an honorable engineer in mind, I know that
in order to uphold professional integrity and be morally
conversant I must either convince James Smith to admit his
dishonesty or somehow inform the city officials of the false
estimate so a fairer deal can be negotiated.
Another resource that is valuable with guiding me
towards an appropriate course of action is the book
Engineering Ethics: Concepts and Cases. The fifth chapter
of the book explicitly analyzes the importance of honesty in
the engineering field and how to deal with ethical dilemmas
involving deceptive acts. In section 5.2., the book states if
dishonest practices, either technological or professional,
could result in the destruction of public welfare, “then
engineers must remediate the issue in order to preserve the
code of ethics” [6]. Therefore, it is my ethical duty to protect
the welfare of Santa Cruz by finding a course of action that
will rectify my co-worker’s misleading business practices.
The book then describes examples of handling a dilemma
involving deceptiveness, such as explaining the potential
consequences to the person who violated the code of ethics
[6]. In regards to my situation, this will require me to
personally address James Smith about his actions, describe
how his actions could cause economic turmoil for the city, and
hope he sees the error of his ways. Both ethically based
articles are useful tools for aiding me towards the best
decision because of their emphasis of upholding professional
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Julie Shields
integrity, however, I need to consult more resources if I want
to confidently make an decision for my ethical issue.
professional integrity is emphasized and motivates me even
more to protect the welfare of Santa Cruz and eliminate any
dishonesty. Lastly, I turn to my father and my uncle for both
moral and professional advice. Their recommendations are
similar to the ones given in the case study.
However, after analyzing all these resources, I still have
no definite answer on how to solve my ethical dilemma. I
fully plan on making my co-worker’s dishonesty known to the
appropriate officials so a fairer deal with the city of Santa
Cruz can be made. I also intend on being proactive about the
issue since the contract is to be completed in two weeks, but
I’m going to wait until I talk to my other co-workers and my
lawyer before I make any other decisions. To other future
engineers unfortunately faced with my dilemma, I believe it
is imperative to be morally principled as well as conscience
of the situation’s legalities in order to avoid committing any
illegal activity. In general, when confronted with ethical
problems, it is critical for engineers to review multiple codes
of ethics, evaluate case studies, analyze helpful articles, and
reach out to any other resource that will lead them to the best
and most ethical course of action.
REAL LIFE ADVICE
The last resources I turn to when determining a solution
for my ethical dilemma are my father, Larry Shields, and my
uncle, Mark Jacklin. Throughout the last 30 years of my life,
my father instilled in me a strict sense of morality. He has
taught me the importance of being honorable, honest, and
selfless. Although he is not an engineer, watching him handle
himself professionally over the years allows me to understand
how to handle my business practices accordingly. After
discussing with him the overall issue I am faced with, he
believes I should make the Santa Cruz city officials aware of
James Smith’s dishonest conduct, but to do it in the most
respectful way possible [7]. He further advises I seek legal
advice in order to not violate any laws of confidentiality [7].
When consulting my uncle, who is the head
Environmental Engineer at NRG. Power Plant, he gives me
similar advice. Although he was never faced with my exact
issue in his 27 years of work experience, he encountered
numerous ethical dilemmas that involved deceptive acts. His
advice on how to remediate the issue is similar to my father’s
and even the previously explained case study. He believes I
should seek legal guidance because of privacy laws and
because the contract has already been sent to be processed [8].
He also believes I need to address with James Smith my
intentions of informing the city officials and any other
appropriate professionals of his dishonesty, so I will not be
doing anything behind his back [8].
REFERENCES
[1] G. Malina, I. Zawierucha. (2011). “Bioremediation of
Contaminated Soils: Effects of Bioaugmentation and
Biostimulation on Enhancing Biodegration of Oil
Hydrocarbons.” Bioaugmentation, Biostimulation and
Biocontrol.
(online
article).
http://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-642-197697_8. pp. 187-201.
[2] “NSPE Code of Ethics for Engineers.” (2007). National
Society
of
Professional
Engineers.
(website).
http://www.nspe.org/resources/ethics/code-ethics.
[3] “Code of Ethics.” (2009). American Society of Civil
Engineers. (website). http://www.asce.org/Leadership-andManagement/Ethics/Code-of-Ethics/ .
[4] “Ethics Cases.” Texas Tech University. (2014). (website).
http://www.depts.ttu.edu/murdoughcenter/products/cases.ph
p.
[5] C.E. Harris. (2008). “The Good Engineer: Giving Virtue
is Due in Engineering Ethics.” Science and Engineering
Ethics.
(online
article).
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11948-008-9068-3.
pp. 153-165.
[6] C. E. Harris, et al. (2013). Engineering ethics: Concepts
and cases. Boston, MA: Wadsworth. (print book). pp. 92-96
[7] L. Shields. (2025, June 16). Interview
[8] M. Jacklin (2025, June 16). Interview
CONCLUSION
Ethical dilemmas often arise in the field of engineering
and cause engineers to question the right course of action to
take when faced with them. The ethical quandary I am
challenged with involves the deceptive business actions of my
co-worker, James Smith, potentially endangering the
economy and overall welfare of Santa Cruz, Guatemala.
After reviewing the NSPE and ASCE codes of ethics, I am
directed against being passive towards the issue, since
knowingly partaking in dishonest business ventures is seen as
unethical and protecting the public welfare should be my
priority. After analyzing alternate approaches to a case study
that is overall similar to my current predicament. These
approaches included informing James Smith and the city
officials of my intentions to clarify the misrepresentation of
the cost of the assignment or to seek legal advice on how to
remediate the deceptive acts committed by James Smith.
After reading online articles on ethics, the importance of
ADDITIONAL SOURCES
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Julie Shields
“Engineers Without Borders (EWB).” Online Ethics Center.
(2014).
(website).
http://www.onlineethics.org/Resources/Cases/EWB.aspx.
“Honesty’s Always the Best Policy.” webGuru. (website).
http://www.webguru.neu.edu/professionalism/casestudies/honestys-always-best-policy.
ACKNOWLEDGEMETNS
I would like to acknowledge three people who
significantly aided me during the process of completing this
writing assignment. Andjaleka Potkonjak engaged in daily
conversations with me about my topic and gave helpful
improvements to my writing. My Writing Center tutor,
Steven Boyd, deeply improved the structure of my paper as
well as eliminated many grammatical errors. Lastly, my
father, Larry Shields, proof read my paper and gave beneficial
writing tips.
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